Still Breathing
by HerBlackWings85
Summary: Story starts during seasons 3, re-write/ AU whatever . The brothers are crisscrossing the US trying to save Dean from losing his soul when they run into a fellow hunter with a history. Rated M for language, violence, sex, attempted rape, angst, fluff? and whatever else pops up. I do what I want... Don't own SPN just my OC. This is the first part in a planned series rewrite.
1. Chapter 1

Still Breathingb

Blackridge, Missouri

The old farmhouse looked identical to hundreds of other old farmhouses scattered on the backroads of middle America. Identical except for the six or seven vampires currently squatting in it. Six or seven was as close an estimate the hunter could get from her vantage point a half click away with the crappy 30 year old binoculars she had scored at a military surplus store in town earlier that day. The hunter had been drawn to this backwater piece of Americana after skimming the paper two towns over for interesting stories. And it seemed Blackridge, Missouri had a run of strange deaths and disappearances for a township of a few thousand hicks.

She had scoped out the house a few hours before dusk and watched the groups comings and goings. The vamps seemed to be in for the night, having brought back dinner an hour or so ago. She had waited to see if anyone else would be showing up to the party but so far they were just lounging on the decrepit porch and getting drunk.

"Well, now or never," she thought to herself as she gathered her gear and hiked back to her waiting truck. The truck wasn't exactly the favorite vehicle she had ever owned but damn had it got her out of a few pickles. The Great Blue Monster as she affectionately christened it sat waiting in the dark. The 4 wheel drive, mounted flood lights and ample cab and storage room had more than made up for the lack of "sexy" factor many smaller cars had offered. She started the truck and drove as close as she dared to the farm house, lights off and hoping for some ounce of surprise.

"Fuck it'," she whispered jumping out of the truck and gripping her katana tight. The katana was one of her favorite possessions, she knew most hunters preferred to behead vampires with machetes but she found them too unwieldy. The katana was sharp, lite and easy to maneuver even in cramped quarters. The farmhouse had a generator out front that was supplying the power to the house, the bottom floor was lit as were two rooms on the second floor. There were two vampires on the porch that she made quick work of, the katana blade slicing their heads clean off. The bodies dropped to the floor and she stepped over them. "1,2 buckle my shoe," she sang quietly. The front door opened and another vamp stepped outside, lighting a cigarette. The hunter whipped around to face it with katana raised.

"What the fuck?" the vampire managed to mumble as the hunter surged forward. The vampires head fell, cigarette still smoldering.

Figuring the element of surprise was gone, she kicked the door wide opened and yelled "3,4 better lock your door!" She was greeted with the sounds of snarling coming from her right as two more vamps swarmed out of was she figured must be the kitchen as a loud thud came from her left. The first vamp through the kitchen was a young looking man with sandy blond hair and dark eyes.

"You're dead you crazy bitch," he growled charging her. She pulled a handgun from the holster around her back and shot him once in the knee cap, downing him for a minute and letting her regroup. Before she could separate head from body, the second vamp crashed into her, slamming her into the wall. Fangs snapped inches from her face as she fired two more rounds into the vamps stomach. The vampire's grip loosened and she was able to swing her blade in a high arch and turned to the vamp still whimpering on the floor with the blown out knee cap. Two more heads rolled at her boots as she turned to the left hallway leading into a sitting area. An old black and white television still blared the evening news, a beer bottle lay on its side, foaming onto the stained and threadbare carpet.

A stairwell led up into the second floor. "Look guys, I haven't got all night! Could we finish this so I can burn your bodies and go grab a drink!" she called up the stairs. She was thrown forward into the bottom stair and her katana clattered away.

"You aren't very smart for a hunter," the vamp growled into her ear as his body weight held her painfully on the stair.

"Hey Edward, lets talk about this like two civilized people, well one civilized person and one monster," she grunted, trying to bide time. She had a small bowie knife inside her boot if she could only get it but he still held her pinned to the stairs. The vamp laughed and flipped her over. She stared up at a blob of a man, as wide as he was tall, dirty overalls and stained fangs to complete his hillbilly vampire look.

"How the hell did your fat ass sneak up on me?"

"God damn girl, you smell delicious," he purred as he reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair dragging her up to semi sitting position.

"Damn it,"she grunted, fumbling for the blade she had stuck in her boot. She was able to grasp it and shoved it into the things left eye socket. The vampire instantly let go of her and flailed at the blade stuck in its eye, she dove for the katana and sliced the vamps head from its pudgy body. The body slumped forward with a heavy thud at her feet. She took a long shuddering breath and flicked the blood off her katana blade. A door opened upstairs and she heard the sound of more snarls and feet thundering overhead. She turned and ran up the stairs to meet the monsters.

After double checking the rest of the house for any other vampires or victims, she trudged back to her truck and pulled it up next to the genny. She had a couple gallons of gasoline in the back that she grabbed and set on the ground in front of the Blue Monster. She had considered just setting the whole house on fire but decided against that idea. The house was set back in the woods and surrounded by old, over grown trees. If she lit up the house , half the county might catch on fire too; so she begrudgingly decided to haul the bodies and heads of the now departed vampires out of the house and into the middle of the dirt driveway to torch the remains there. She turned the flood lights on and turned her stereo up , she always worked better with good background music.

"Look Sammy, this is a straight forward gig. Lets just gank the vamps and head back to the bar in town, grab some beers and enjoy the scenery," Dean smiled at his younger brother as their black Impala charged down the overgrown road. The road dead ended in a farm house apparently inhabited by the same family line since the Civil War. The locals said the family was odd but not threatening. They kept to themselves and the town basically ignored them.

"Dean, I'm just saying maybe we should check the area out first and make sure this is the right place before we charge in there. We don't even know how many vamps could be there," Sam exclaimed.

"Five. There should be five vampires in there. There are five members of the Burke clan still at the old abode, unless of course they turned any of their vics instead of just munching on them."

Dean pulled the Impala, Baby, off the road and killed the engine. The brothers climbed out of the car and grabbed their gear from the trunk. "What the hell?" Sam murmured as they came up to the farmhouse and saw a blue truck, flood lights and music blaring,"Nothing to do , nowhere to go oh, I wanna be sedated," the Ramones belted into the night. Dean carefully slinked around to the front of truck checked the cab and back, gave his brother a non-comital shrug of his shoulders as he walked towards him.

"Dean, dude what the hell? I think we missed the party." Sam was standing in front of a bloody pile of decapitated bodies, the heads haphazardly tossed on top.

"Son of bitch, you heavy, fucking, fat bastard," a woman's voice echoed from inside the house. The boys didn't spare a glance at each other as they charged up the stairs wielding machetes. The skidded to halt inside the front door, slipping slightly on a puddle of blood. A bullet exploded into the wall above Sam's head.

"Don't fucking move," A woman appeared from behind a corner, gun trained on the brothers. Dean glanced behind her and saw a large flabby body leaving a trail of blood across the room. The woman herself was sweaty, covered in blood and grime. "Can I help you gentlemen?" She asked giving them her best 'don't fucking move or I'll shoot you smile'.

"We aren't vampires, so just put the gun down," the one with green eyes told her.

"Nope."

"We were here for these things, but it uh looks like you beat us to the punch. We aren't going to hurt you," the taller one said as he slowly set his machete down and glanced at the other one to follow suit. "I'm Sam and this is…"

"I don't give a shit what your names are. This job is done and I don't work with other hunters so leave now," She cut him off and made a shoo-ing motion with her gun back towards the door.

"Hey god damnit this was our hunt, supposed to be our kill," the green eyed one said.

"What did you just say?" she took another step towards them, gun still raised.

"Hey, hey now. Yeah it looks like you've got it handled. I mean you took out what six vampires on your own?" the tall one said, throwing a sideways glance at the other one.

"Eight actually, looks like the Burkes added a few members. Baby vamps barely turned, no real strength, no self control, probably why the uptick in killings."/p

"Eight, well ok then. How about we just help you drag that one out and you can finish doing what ever it is your doing..." the tall one took a half step in front of the green eyed one.

She took a deep breath and holstered the gun. "Just help me drag his fat ass to the pile so I can lite them up and then you two can get the fuck out of my way," she relented. The tall one gave her a slight smile and walked toward the body, grabbing one leg.

"Oh no, nope, nah. I'm going back to Baby, Sam. This crazy bitch is on her own." The one with green eyes stormed out of the house.

"He's uh, he was kind of looking forward to this. We haven't had a lot of wins lately," The tall one stammered.

"I don't really care." the woman said sarcastically. She grabbed the other leg and together they hauled the huge body out of the house and down the front stairs to the waiting pile of gore. "Ok bye now," the woman held out her dirty, bloody hand for a hand shake. "No hard feelings, I just don't play well with others," she gave a half smile and turned towards the cans of gasoline.

"Yeah bye," Sam looked over at the woman, she had started to sing along to the music coming out of the truck.

She stalked back over to the pile of bodies, doused them in gasoline and flung a match. She stood there watching the fire and watching the tall man walk down the road back to his waiting car somewhere in the dark.

"What an uppity bitch." Dean yelled as soon as Sam got in the car, "Let go get something to drink," he revved the car and sped away from the macabre bon fire.

The woman watched the fire for a more minutes listening as the car drove away. She packed up the gasoline cans and tossed them back into her truck. Took a quick glance at herself in the side mirror, "You are one sexy bitch," she muttered to herself, taking note of the streaks of blood, dirt and sweat that criss crossed her face and ratty Star Wars t-shirt. The shirt she peeled off and threw onto the fire. She walked over to an old fashioned water pump and after a few pumps was rewarded with some frigid but fresh water she used to quickly scrub her face, neck and red hair clean. She grabbed a fresh shirt from one of her bags and jumped into the truck just as the fire was starting to smolder and dim. She started the truck and headed back to town.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Billy Bob's Watering Hole" the neon sign glared. The parking lot was dingy, poorly lit and half full with a mishmash of lifted trucks and beaters. The woman pulled her truck into the parking lot and parked in a corner far away from the entrance of the bar. She casually glanced around the parking lot noting the cars parked here and there. No places for anyone or anything to jump out at her. The country music was blaring, almost deafening as she opened the door and stepped into the honkey tonk bar.

She made a beeline for the bar and got the bar tenders attention as quickly as possible. "Rum and coke please." she yelled, hoping he heard her.

"ID princess," the burly bartender retorted.

"Seriously?" she fumbled with her small bag and peeled out her ID, watching as the bar tender examined it.

"It must be my lucky fucking day! Three tourists in one night to my glorious bar!" he laughed, pouring her drink.

"You don't get many out-of-towners?" she asked taking a sip. Damn he made a strong drink.

"No not usually. Just served those two, said they were on a road trip," the bar tender pointed his chin to a spot behind the woman.

She glanced over and saw the green eyed jerk and his freakishly tall partner sitting at a table drinking beers. The green eyed one noticed her and she raised her glass in a mock salute. He glared at her and mouthed something to his friend. The woman turned back around and contently sipped her drink and let the loud music wash over her. She didn't particularly care for country but she liked the noise. She closed her eyes and tuned out her surroundings for a few minutes, enjoying the warm feeling the liquor was creating in her belly and slowly flowing outward.

"It's my friends birthday." She jerked from her revere and noticed a man leaning towards her. The music had died down for the moment; the band apparently on a break.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear a damn thing you said," she smiled at him, he was young, clean shaven and wearing cowboy boots.

"I said its my friend, Bucky's birthday and he wanted to send you this drink. Maybe you could come over and wish him a happy birthday," he smiled again and slid a tall, foaming glass of beer towards her. She glanced over to a table of three other guys, the one in the middle waving her over.

"Thanks but I was just about to head out," she said as she scooted off the bar stool.

"Hey look if you don't want to come over thats fine, just enjoy the drink on him and I'll let him know your just a little shy," he laughed easily and she laughed with him relaxed from the glass of rum and shot of Coke the bar tender had given her.

"Seriously, look at that crazy bitch, fawning over the locals," Dean muttered to his brother.

"Dean, how many 'local' girls have you screwed in the last six months?" Sam retorted. Dean stopped and seemed to be counting in his head. "Don't answer. You know what its like out there with other hunters. How many hunters have we been friendly with ?" Sam asked taking a drink from his bottle of beer.

The woman took the glass of beer with a final thank you as the guy walked back to rejoin his friends. The band came back on and the bar went a little crazy for the ditty they began playing. She turned to face the band and quickly drank the glass of beer, listening to the music and watching the lines of dancers on the floor. "God damn I need to get to bed" she muttered to herself, feeling a wave of drowsiness wash over her. She turned back to the bar to square up her tab and felt dizzy with the movement. Something wasn't right. She picked up the now empty glass and smelled. Smells like beer, she thought and let out a small laugh. "Get your shit together." She thought to herself shaking her head. She glanced into the bottom of the glass again and noticed three small mounds of white sludges. An icy chill shot up her spine, she'd let her guard down and made a stupid, rookie mistake. "Shit, shit," she thought, "that fucking white trash piece of shit, why the fuck did I drink that." She felt another wave of drowsiness and her vision blurred for a minute as the drugs started taking effect . She glanced around, looking for the table of men that had given her the drink but also slightly hoping she could get the attention of the other two hunters. Faced with a table of strangers that had most likely just drugged her and two asshole Hunters she'd choose the Hunters. The lights had dimmed and she could only make out blurry shapes. She carefully climbed off her bar stool and tried to walk as steady as she could to the door. "Just get to the truck and lock yourself inside," she thought, trying to walk slowly to the door hoping not to draw attention to herself.

She stepped out into the cool night air and immediately stumbled on the uneven gravel. She shakily got to her feet as her vision blurred again. She could just make out the blue shape of her truck on the other side of the parking lot.

"Always have to park so god damn far away." She muttered walking towards the Blue Monster. She finally reached the truck and dug around her small purse for the key fob. Her clumsy fingers finally clasped the cool metal key ring and unlocked the truck. The feeling of sleepiness was stronger than ever and she couldn't find the coordination or strength to open the car door so instead she just leaned her head onto the cool metal.

"Well hey there sweetheart, where are you off to?" came a drawl on her left. She turned towards the sound and fell off balance again, but was caught from behind by a pair of strong arms. Male laughter erupted around her and she willed her vision to clear. The faces of several men surrounded her all laughing and smiling. "Now, I told you it was my friend Bucky here's birthday. And he picked you as his special present. So you're coming with us and you're going to be a nice girl and we won't have to hurt you too bad ok?" the clean shaven one that gave her the drink said.

"You really don't want to do this, so I suggest you fuck off and go back inside" she replied, pulling herself away from the man that had caught her. She fell forward into the truck door and was able to pull it open. She threw her small bag into the truck and was trying to climb inside when she was grabbed again from behind. The clean shaven man spun her around and before her dulled senses could react he punched her hard in the face and threw her over his shoulder.

"Well sorry Buck, her face is going to be a little fucked up but I'm sure everything else will work fine," He slapped her ass and the men laughed again as they walked away from her truck to a dark corner of the parking lot where their vehicle waited.

" Sammy, this town is a dump. I hope the motel has Casa Erotica, maybe the night wont be a complete wash." Dean said to his brother as they exited the bar and headed towards Baby.

"Hey, isn't that that chicks truck?" Sam called to his brother, noting the blue truck a few spaces away from their car. The door was open and Sam peeked inside, noticing the purse thrown into the passenger seat.

"Yeah, so what? Lets go." Dean said unlocking the Impala.

"Dude the door is open, her purse is in there so where the hell is she?" Sam asked quickly scanning the parking lot.

"Get the fuck off me you redneck jabroni!" the voice broke through the din of the bar and the boys gave a single glance at each other before running towards the sound. They ran around the far side of the building in time to see the red headed hunter being thrown onto the hood of a car.

"You god damn bitch," one of the men yelled grabbing her by the hair and slamming her head savagely into the hood. Her body went limp and she slid down the front of the car landing on the gravel where she laid still.

"Hey asshole back the fuck up now!" Dean roared as he and Sam raised their guns on the group of men. The men turned stupidly to face the brothers.

"This ain't your concern, this little lady is being a bit rude to me and my friends here so why don't you just walk away," the leader called, the woman still lay unconscious at their feet, her face bloody and her shirt torn down the middle. Dean didn't answer, instead he shot the closest one in the foot, the man immediately dropped clutching his ruined toes and screamed, the music had started back up in the club and the sound was confined to the otherwise deserted parking lot.

"Leave her and go now or so help me I will end all of you," Dean called. Sam cocked his gun and trained it on the men. The men muttered to each other, grabbed their injured friend and piled into the car. The driver reversed the car and sped away from the bar. Sam and Dean ran to where the woman was still laying. "Hey, wake up now. Come on." Dean sat her up, trying to pull her ruined shirt closed.

Her eyes shot open and she tried to weakly push him away, "No no no no."

"We aren't going to hurt you, come on. Let us take you to a hospital or something."

They tried pulling her to her feet but she couldn't stay upright and began to crumple back to the ground. "No, my truck …just take me back to my room," she mumbled into Deans neck as he picked her up. She blacked out again as they carried her back to her truck.

"You drive her, I'll meet you at the motel. She has to be staying there its the only one in town," Dean lifted the unconscious woman carefully into the truck.

Sam drove with the woman slouched over in the passenger seat. He had found her room key in her purse and as luck would have it they were neighbors at the motel. Dean unlocked her room and Sam carried her inside, gently laying her on the bed. The guys glanced around the room, noting the open duffel bag on the other bed, the laptop and "Hey her journal!" Dean called picking up the book, "Where's this go?" he walked to a wall where another door sat and unlocked it, being met with another locked door. He had an idea and left the room. Sam could hear him in the next room and the other door was flung open with a triumphant smiling Dean on the other side. "Its like a suite!" Dean called.

"Seriously dude? She's just had the shit beat out of her and almost raped." Sam muttered, trying to take a look at had bruise that had formed on the side of her face.

"Yeah, well, she'll be ok. She took out eight vamps remember," Dean said as he started perusing her journal again.

"Are you snooping through her stuff?" Sam asked, as Dean had moved onto the open duffel bag and her purse.

"Just a little, we don't even know her name. And it's…River McGregror from California. And she's an organ donor . Good for her," he said as he pulled out her ID. He put the plastic card back and continued digging through her bag. Sam gave an exasperated sigh then went to get his lap top from their room. "What the hell is this?" Dean pulled out a small purple knobby ring thing from her duffel bag. He started looking at it and found a small button. He pressed it and the ring started to vibrate softly. "Hey now," Dean said smiling, he'd found her vibrator.

"Dean , Jesus Christ." Sam yelled. The woman, River, moaned and sat up suddenly. Dean pulled the vibrator off his finger and flung it back into the bag. He stood up quickly and moved towards the bed.

"Where the hell…I'm gonna be sick," she tried to stand but didn't have the coordination to get off the soft bed. She dry heaved and hiccuped as she tryed to push her self off the bed.

"Wait, don't barf on the floor," Dean yelled scooping her up under the arms and crab walking her to the bathroom where she fell to her knees in front of the toilet just in time. Dean quickly pulled her hair out of her face and began rubbing her back. "It's ok, get it out. You'll feel better in the morning."

She raised a shaking hand and flushed the toilet as he helped her stand. "You're that hunter from earlier. I killed your vampires," she slurred putting her hands on his chest to steady herself, vision clearing enough to see his green eyes. "I threw up on my shirt." She started to try and pull off the ruined shirt.

"Here I got it." Dean pulled the filthy, ripped shirt off and threw it onto the floor. Her blue eyes began to roll back in her head and she started to sag to the floor again. Dean grabbed her before she fell and scooped her back into his arms. She weakly hung her arms around his neck.

"Please don't hurt me," she whispered as she blacked out again.

"Never," Dean laid her back down on the bed and pulled her boots and socks off. She instinctively turned on her side and curled into a fetal position. He noted a line of mystic and archaic symbols tattooed down her spine as he covered her up with a blanket. "We'll take turns checking on her through the night ok?" he called to Sam, who was sitting at the table with his laptop open.

"Of course, I'll take first watch , you go get some rest."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

River struggled to open her eyes, they felt heavy and gritty. Her skull pounded in tune with her heartbeat. She sat up unsteadily, noticing three things simultaneously. One, somehow she was back in her motel room, her last memory being at that shitty bar surrounded by those pigs. Two, she wasn't wearing her shirt or her boots and three, there was a strange man flopped on the bed next to her.

"Hey you're awake. Do you feel ok?" a soft voice asked. She turned toward the voice, noticing the door that separated the rooms was open. The tall hunter she had met the night before was standing in the doorway.

"Who the hell are you guys? And what the hell happened last night?" The sound of her voice caused the other man to stir.

"I'm up, I'm awake. She's fine Sammy. I was just resting my eyes," the green eyed one murmured sitting up and rubbing his face. "Good morning, sunshine," he said smiling at her.

"I'm Sam Winchester and thats my brother Dean." Sam said walking into the room, handing her a glass of cold water .

"Winchester?" she repeated, rubbing her pounding head. Her hair felt crusty and sticky and she gingerly ran her fingers over the lump on her cheek. "You related to John?" she asked taking a small sip of water.

"Yeah, he was our dad." Dean answered, sitting up. He was always interested in hunters that had known their father.

"Was? I guess that means he's finally dead."

"Yeah about a year ago. How'd you know him?"

She ignored his question and got shakily to her feet, one arm going subconsciously to cover her midsection and walked to her open duffel bag looking through it for clean clothes. She noticed her small purple vibrator laying on top, she had forgotten she even owned the stupid thing. She straightened up grasping a bundle of clean clothes to her chest and took another look around her room. Noticing her journal laying open on the nightstand, along with her wallet. "Were you going through my stuff?" she asked a slight blush creeping up from her neck into her pale face.

"Um, yeah. I mean no, no just wanted to know your name." Dean looked down, at the walls, her feet, everywhere but her eyes.

She turned to face him. "And did you find it written on my vibrator?" she asked with a slight smile. Dean floundered, trying to find a comeback and Sam started cackling with laughter. "I'm gonna get cleaned up and we won't ever speak of this again. Then I'll buy you breakfast and we can talk shop if you want," River told the boys grabbing her bag and shutting her self in the bathroom.

She appraised her reflection in the small mirror, she had a shiner and a welt under her left eye. Half her head was caked in dried blood and she gingerly poked under her hair for the source of it. She had a few new bruises on her ribs where she'd been roughly picked up and tossed over the shoulder of the guy from the night before. She took a long, hot shower and afterward dug in her bag for her small collection of makeup, attempting to cover up the bruise on her face as much as possible and picked out some clean clothes, a "Dio" band shirt this time and some comfy jeans.

"Do you think she thinks I'm a creeper for going through her stuff?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Really? I think that vibrators pretty hot…She definitely thinks I'm a creeper."

River listened to the two men talk in their own room as she shoved her few belongings back into her bag.

"You ready yet? I'm starving…" Dean asked leaning against the doorjamb.

She took a deep breath and shifted nervously on her feet. "Those guys from last night...they got away?"

Dean nodded, "I shot one of them in the foot but yeah they got away."

"Shit... I knew I shouldn't have gone out. Should've just got drunk in my room like usual..." She blushed again. "It's just been a really shitty week and I am an expert at making bad choices so maybe you should pick the breakfast spot."

Sam stood behind his brother, "There's a diner off I-9. We're headed in that direction anyways."

"I'll meet you there Wonder Boys." She told them as they exited the motel.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

Twenty minutes later a beat up blue truck and a shiny black Impala pulled into Jenny's Diner. 'Best Corned beef n' hash in the county!' the hand painted sign on the door read. River's music was blasting again, windows rolled down and she sang happily along to the last lines of "White Wedding" before turning off her car. She hopped out of the truck and noticed Dean smirking at her. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing nothing, Billy Idol is classic," he answered, green eyes lit with mischief.

The trio walked into the diner and picked a booth near the back. River climbed into the booth first trying to keep her bruised eye towards the window. She had her wavy hair down and kept her sunglasses on until they ordered their breakfast. Heart happy omelet for Sam, the famous corned beef n'hash with a side of bacon for Dean and the farmers oatmeal special for River.

They sat silently for a few minutes, none of them wanting to break the ice. "So yeah…Sam and Dean Winchester, sons of the legendary John Winchester," River finally said, holding her steaming cup of coffee and taking a deep breath. "What finally did him in?" she asked eyebrows raised.

Sam and Dean took turns telling her a condensed family history, including the run in with the yellow eyed demon, John making a deal to save Dean, Sam being killed and then Dean making a crossroads deal to bring Sam back from the dead. River sat, mouth agape during the last part, a spoonful of oatmeal hanging inches from her open mouth. "And here we are now." Dean finished, plopping in another mouthful of hash browns.

"Wait, so how much time do you have left?" River asked, turning in her booth to face Dean.

"Eleven months," he replied, she knew he was trying to be nonchalant but she saw something in his eyes and in the face of his brother.

"And what exactly is your plan?"

"We're still ironing that out. How did you know dad?" Dean brushed off the last question, taking a sip of coffee.

"He saved my life, obviously" she answered, taking another bite of her oatmeal.

"You're killin' me, Smalls" Dean told her. River let out a small laugh, "Sandlot" was one of her favorite movies.

"I was five. Mom and dad decided we needed to get out of the city and enjoy the fresh air or some crap. So they sold our house, all of our earthly belongings, crammed me and my older brother Jim into an RV and went on some hippy dippy, get back to nature road trip," she smiled at the memory. "We made it from San Clemente, California to the Black Hills in Wyoming, or somewhere close. We buckled down for the night, me and James in our Star Wars tent, it was awesome it had R2 and C-3PO on it. Jimmy was seven, we were best friends, I guess we kind of had to be growing up like that," she paused and took another sip of coffee. "It was late and we heard something in the trees, we heard it moving around. It woke mom and dad up in the RV. Daddy told us to stay put, he would check it out. He didn't get far and mom, she… she ran. She left us, she just left us behind in our tent. The sounds it made when it caught her. It was growling and wet chewing noises..." She paused clearing her throat before the memory took over. " I must've started to cry, Jimmy tried to cover my mouth and I remember one minute he was next to me and the next there was a giant hole in the tent where he should have been. I saw a person, but not a person, its eyes were so dark and teeth and claws…"

"A werewolf?" Sam asked, she gave a slight nod.

"Then there were gun shots so loud like thunder. And another man appeared. He picked me up and told me to close my eyes and not look until he said it was ok. Except I did look, there was so much blood. " Dean and Sam kept silent as she took a breath. "He said his name was John Winchester and he was going to get me somewhere safe. And he did, we made it back to a ranger station. I remember him telling the guys in the Smokey Bear hats that my family had been attacked by an animal. Then he was gone," she paused as the waitress came by and refilled their coffee cups.

"I went to live with a great aunt back in California, she sent me to all these doctors and therapists. They said it was a bear or a cougar that killed my family. Somewhere around the age of twelve I had an epiphany, if wanted to stop taking the pills and spending my Saturdays talking about my feelings I had to regurgitate their bullshit about there being no such things as monsters. I kept my head down, went to school, got good grades, went to college, became a nurse and started working like a grownup. And I almost forgot about what really killed my family. Until one of my co-workers was killed in the parking lot, I found her. Throat ripped out, eyes gone and this thing standing over her. All teeth, wings and shadow. And I got this for my troubles," she pulled up her sleeve, three large scars wrapped around her left forearm, "Damn thing almost tore my arm off. The ER doc told me it was probably a rabid California condor, I mean really? That was his best excuse. Pretty sure it was a fucking Harpy…" she pulled her sleeve backdown. "So I researched and I met people, you can meet all kinds of interesting folks in Los Angeles."

" I hate L.A." Dean muttered, River threw him a sideways glance.

"Anyways, I learned some simple spells from some friendly Wicans, took some self defense classes, and talked to a lot of strange people before I met my first real hunter. In between trying to earn a living and stay sane, I started hunting. Easy things at first. Eventually I wound back up near Wyoming, a skin walker case. And ran back into your dad. He remembered me, he wasn't too happy I had become a hunter but he gave me his number and hooked me up with a couple contacts. I only ever called him once. That conversation didn't go too well so I never called him again." River looked at the two men sitting with her, "We shared our fucked up childhood, trials and tribulations. Are we besties now?" Sam smiled at her.

"What happened the last time you called our dad?" Dean asked.

She hesitated and was saved by the sound of Lemmie Kilmister growling "Ace of Spades". "Lemmie saves the day again," River muttered, pulling her phone out of her bag. Dean gave her an appreciative smile, she had good taste in music. "Hey Greg, yeah I'm still on for tonight… They need three doubles filled?… Ok, I get paid on Thursday after I clock out right?… Ok tell them absolutely no kids or babies…Hows the family?… No estate sales, good… Lucas's birthday is next week, right? Is it ok if I call and say hi to him… Thanks again Greg, call if you need anything."

"So is that your high command or something?" Dean asked.

"No its for work," The brothers gave her an incredulous look. "You know work, a J-O-B for cash/money/bills?" She rubbed her fingers together with invisible money. "How the hell do you guys survive?" she asked.

"Hey, we work… Who's Greg?" Dean asked.

"Damn your nosy. Greg's a good guy. I saved his family from a Dybbuk last year. His wife bought this cute little jewelry box at an estate sale; have you ever dealt with a Dybbuk?" she asked them.

"No I don't think so." Sam answered.

"Trust me you'd know, nasty sons of bitches, nearly impossible to get rid of. I put the jewelry box in this lead lined spell box and buried it in the middle of a forrest. I hope to the gods no one ever finds it. It almost killed their kid. Anyhoo, Greg works at an agency, he helps me find nursing jobs close to where I'm working a case. Hunting doesn't exactly pay the bills."

"Amen to that," Dean replied.

The waitress brought the check and River snatched it away from Dean, "You saved my life, I can buy your breakfast."

"I love it when the lady takes charge." Dean snarked, climbing out of the booth.

"Oh dear baby Jesus , what happened to your face?" the waitress asked River as she went up to pay the bill.

River self-consciously touched the bruise on her face. "Oh this, uh, roller derby." River answered, never surprising herself how quickly and easily it was to lie. River paid the bill and the guys headed out to their car.

"Where you headed now?" Sam asked.

"There's a haunting over in Joplin, vengeful spirit probably. I'm gonna go check it out, work a few days in between. I need money, running low on wearable clothes. And you two?" River leaned against the Impala, trying to delay the inevitable.

"We need to figure out how to get Dean out of his contract." Sam answered. Dean shuffled his feet and looked at the road.

"I'll keep my ear to the ground, I owe you two. I won't forget that," River and Sam exchanged numbers and contact info.

"You didn't tell us what happened that last time you talked to our dad." Dean asked again.

"I fucked up. A hunter died. John chewed my ass out. He told me we should've known better, should've been more careful. He was right. I guess I was too ashamed to call him after that… Thanks again. I was an asshole to you guys and you helped me anyways," she gave them each a hug, she tried to remember the last time she had friendly contact with another human. Her phone buzzed in her pocket again, she pulled it out and took a quick glance at it. She frowned at the phone and typed a quick response.

"You ok?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. It's just my stalker checking in. Haven't heard from him in a few weeks, I was getting worried he forgot about me," she gave Dean a crooked smile.

"Like a crazy ex-boyfriend or something?"

"Yeah or something. I gotta get going, I have to be at the hospital in a few hours, need to find a room, etc, etc." She turned and got into her truck. She gave the brothers a quick wave before driving away.

"Ok, then. That ended abruptly. Where to now Sammy?" Dean asked his younger brother, climbing into their car.

"Let's go check in with Bobby."


	5. Chapter 5

5.

"Ping!" Dean reached into his side pocket, casting a quick glance at his phone, "Son of a bitch." He disgustedly tossed his phone onto the table across from Sam. Bobby didn't even glance up, he was focused on cleaning the firing pin of the Colt.

"What's wrong?" Sam picked up the phone, "Thank you for signing up for daily cat facts! Meow… What the hell is this?" He said, trying not to laugh.

"Hell if I know. I keep getting these stupid messages. Last week it was about llamas, this week cats. I keep replying to delete my number and instead it signs me up for something else. I think I'm gonna toss that phone," Dean said returning his attention to the fractured piece of the Colt he had been working on.

Sam threw his head back and started roaring with laughter. "What the hell, dude? Did you sign me up for that crap?" Dean glowered at his younger brother.

"No! It wasn't me," He said wiping tears out of his eyes, "Hey, did you try to call the number back and see if you can get like an operator or something?" He started laughing again.

"Hardy fucking har," Dean said grabbing his cellphone back, he angrily hit call back on his phone.

On the third ring someone answered, "Good morning and thank you for calling "Daily Cat Facts", did you know the heaviest cat on record was a Maine Coon named George weighing in at a whopping 32 pounds!"

"Real fucking funny, River. What do you want?"

"Who pissed in your oatmeal, chuckles? Did the double mint twins give you the clap?"

Dean put his hand over the speaker of his cell phone, "You told her about the double mint twins ?" He growled at Sam, which made Sam start laughing again.

"Just wanted to say Hi, how ya doin'…I'm a little miffed you wouldn't just give me your number, I had to get it from Sam. I thought we had a real thing going, like basic animal attraction…Nothing, fine. Put me on speaker unless you want me to start practicing my phone sex skills," River gave up trying to lighten the mood with Dean.

"Has anyone ever told you you're really hard to like." Dean replied.

"Yeah I get that a lot. So can I talk to the whole gang or you want me all to yourself?"

Dean hit speaker on his phone, "Sam and Bobby are here too."

"Hey Sam, Mr. Singer."

"God Damnit I told you not to call me that." Bobby grumbled. Sam had given her Bobby's number a few weeks prior and River had called a few times to pick the older hunters brain.

"Hey River, what's up ?" Sam called.

"I've been scouting a town near Scranton, Ohio called Elizabethtown. Seemingly over night this Thomas Kincaid burg has turned into a cesspool. I'm hearing stories of prostitution, gambling, murders, incest, you name it this towns got it. Something is going on there, maybe demonic omens. I don't know if it can help but it probably couldn't hurt to kick some demon ass? I mean since you guys kind of opened a hellgate and let god knows how many demons free to possess mostly innocent humans…"

"Alright! Alright! We'll come," Dean yelled, slamming the Colt down.

" 'Kay see ya soon hot stuff and you too Sam," With that River disconnected the phone and tossed it on the bed next to her. The rhythmic slamming of bed board on wall had started again from the room next to her. She glanced around the dingy motel room and up at the mirrored ceiling, this place was a dump. She had been in Elizabethtown for a few days already and hadn't been able to pinpoint what the hell was going on. Maybe with the help of the dynamic duo she would have more luck.

"So are you two gonna get going or what?" Bobby asked.

"River can handle it." Dean replied, picking the Colt back up.

Sam had run a quick search on lap top and confirmed River's suspicions, "Dude you just told her we were coming. She's right there's something going on in this town, thunderstorms, locusts, recent spike in violent crimes. Get your shit and lets go."

"Fine, you think you can fix this thing on your own?" Dean asked Bobby, setting the Colt back down.

"It might not kill a demon but it'll definitely kill you." Was his reply, pointing the half built Colt at Dean. Dean raised his arms in surrender and left the older man to his work. "Let me know if you guys run into any trouble," Bobby called to the boys as they walked out of the kitchen.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

Sam and Dean stopped by the local church when they arrived in Elizabethtown. A local man had recently committed suicide inside in front of the priest and nun, another possible omen.

"I don't know what else the insurance company needs? It was a suicide I witnessed it myself." Father Gil told Sam and Dean, who at the moment were posing as agents from the insurance company.

"Well, you know Padre. We always gotta do our due diligence. Thank you for your time." Dean replied as they walked out of the church.

"I let River know we're in town. She's staying at the Good Nite motel, room 213." Sam said as they climbed into the Impala.

Fifteen minutes later they had booked their own room at the illustrious motel and were headed to their room. Dean opened the door and immediately saw the mirrored ceiling, "Classy." He threw his duffel bag on one of the sagging beds. The room was painfully outdated, avocado green carpet, cheesy paintings, and an ancient coffee pot next to the small TV.

The door across the hall opened and a short man with slicked back hair came out, the bed behind him disheveled. "Hey you're ah…Dean Winchester, right?" he said crossing the hall to shake Deans hand.

"Hey Richie, what are you doing here?"

A tall, thin blonde slinked out of Richie's room, he handed her a wad of cash which she tucked into her bra before walking away, "My sister, well step-sister ." The three men watched the prostitute walk down the hallway, hips swaying with practiced rhythm.

The three walked backed into the Winchesters room to catch up. Dean introduced Sam and Richie, they had been on a few hunts through the years. Dean never really kept in touch with Richie , he didn't seem like a reliable partner. "You should have seen the rack on that succubus, too bad I had to gank her." Richie said, holding his hands out in front of chest in estimation of the departed succubus' tits.

"Excuse me, who ganked her?" Dean asked.

"Nice suits," River said as she walked into the boys room through the still open door. She gave Sam a hug and nodded her chin at Dean.

"I'm Richie and who are you? I love red heads and damn girl, those hips…" the short man pushed between the brothers, leaning in for his own hug.

River dodged the hug, "Let me guess, you're a friend of Dean's." She said taking another half step back and casting a sarcastic smile in Dean's direction.

"I taught him everything he knows," he said laughing.

"Well, he must have missed the lesson on your amazing fashion sense," she said quickly taking in his appearance, slicked back black hair, cheap silk shirt and gaudy gold plated necklace. She much preferred the Winchesters in their usual outfits of flannel and denim. "I'm headed to the bar downtown, seems to be where most of the action is. Maybe you two can change out of your monkey suits and meet me there?"

"Hey, doll face, how about I meet you there, we have a couple drinks and I'll give you a night you wont forget. I gotta know do the carpets match the drapes, if you know what I'm sayin'," Richie mock whispered the last part edging closer to River.

River looked over his head at Dean and Sam with eyebrows raised. "Ah, River, you don't have a gun on you do you?" Dean asked apprehensively, remembering his first encounter with her, she was definitely the kind to shot first and ask questions later.

"Wow, so forward, I like it. I've never been very good at the whole chit chat thing," She smiled seductively at the shorter man, putting her hands on his shoulders and slowing lowering her head towards him. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, Richie was starting to sweat. "You smell like cheap cologne and overpriced pussy. I think I'll pass Romeo," she told him. "Bar. Downtown. No Suits," she said looking back at the brothers and leaving Richie to wipe the sweat off his forehead. She gave a small wave and left the room.

"Can you believe that bitch?" Richie said turning back to the brothers.

"Tell me about it," Dean replied, taking his tie off, "Hey Richie, why are you here man? Your not cut out for this life, you're gonna get your self killed. Most likely by River."

Before Richie could reply his phone rang, "Talk to me." He waved bye to the brothers and headed back to his own room.

"I thought you said this town was supposed to be dead." Dean asked his brother a while later as they pulled up to the bar River told them to meet her at.

"It is, I don't know whats going on here." They walked up to the bar, which was packed with people. Music blasting and drinks flowing like water it seemed more like Spring break than a random bar in middle America. People flooded out on the streets, many carrying open containers of beer, several hookers obviously selling their wares on the corner, sex shops and pawn stores everywhere.

"Hey you made it," Richie greeted the brothers as they pushed through the throng of people. "Cold hearted bitch wouldn't even take a free drink," he said nodding to River, who was sitting at the bar with a beer and a plate of nachos while chatting up the bar tender.

"Richie man, take a hint. Back off or she might shoot you," Dean told him and was immediately side tracked by the female bar tender, "Wow, look at the ass on that bar tender, you could fit that on a nickel."

"Hey man, she's gonna be busy later. We already have a thing going here. Now excuse me I have to go release the hostages." Richie walked away from the taller men towards the restroom. Dean sat on a barstool next to River, while Sam went to canvas the rest of the bar.

"How come you're giving Richie such a hard time?" Dean asked, helping himself to some of Rivers nachos.

"Sure Dean, you can share some of my overpriced nachos." She turned towards the green eyed man, their knees just touching, "The walls in that roach infested motel are paper thin and I'm pretty sure I've heard that grease ball, Jersey shore creep bang every whore in town thats why," she swatted Dean's hand away from her beer. "Buy me a drink, sugar lips. That fruity thing Richie tried to give me looked good."

"Then why didn't you drink the one he bought you."

"I don't let strangers buy me drinks anymore. And I want you to buy me drink."

"Yes, ma'am."

"What can I get you?" the attractive bar tender sauntered back to where River and Dean were sitting.

"Whats your specialty?"

"I make a mean hurricane, sweetness."

"He'll take two and a whiskey sour please." River answered, finishing her beer. The bar tender smiled and turned away to make the drinks. River noticed Dean's eyes on the waitress especially when she leaned down to grab a glass on a low shelf. "That's Casey, she's worked here for two years. She's pretty sure her Grandma Ida is rolling in her grave knowing her sweet baby girl is working in this wretched hive of scum and villainy... Thats my Star Wars quote by the way, not hers. She's never even seen Star Wars, she watches Lifetime movies and listens to Sarah McLaughlan. I'm pretty sure that's a demonic omen in and of itself." River said sarcastically taking another bite of nachos. Dean pulled his eyes away from the bar tenders rear end and laughed. River watched as his mischievous green eyes crinkled at the edges when he laughed. She was suddenly struck with the desire to run her hands through his messy auburn hair, instead she squeezed her hands on her thighs. Casey returned with the drinks and gave Dean a wink and extra shake of her ass as she moved on to the next customer.

"The whiskey's for the bald guy sitting over there. His name is Trotter, he owns the bar, the prostitutes, the gambling and pays off the cops. Shit started going down hill when he started buying real estate." River quickly nodded her head to the back of the bar, where an older, well dressed man sat by himself. " I'm gonna go make friends. See if he sacrifices virgins to Satan after the rotary club meeting on Thursdays." She took her jacket off and handed it to Dean.

"Nice shirt."

"I know. Do I look like a journalist?" she asked, she was wearing an AC/DC tank top under her jacket.

"No not at all." Dean said laughing.

She reached her hands into her shirt and readjusted her breasts inside her bra, yanked the tank down to give a good show of cleavage. Dean shifted on his bar stool and wiped his suddenly sweaty hands on his jeans. "How 'bout now?"

"You could tell me you were the Dali Lama and I'd believe you."

"Perfect, thanks for the drinks hot stuff." She grabbed one of the hurricanes and the whiskey and turned towards the back of the bar where the older man was sitting. Dean grabbed her arm before she could walk away.

"And if he is a demon, you got a weapon on you somewhere?" He looked her up and down, tight jeans and low cut tank not leaving many hiding places.

"Does it look like I have enough room in these jeans for a gun? Thats why your here, sexy, I know your always packing. I'll owe you one if you save my life," she waggled her eyebrows at him and bumped her hip into his knee before she walked away.

"You already owe me one, remember?" he called to her.

"I'm working on it," she called back. Dean couldn't help but admire the way her dark jeans clung to the round curve of her ass as she walked away.

"What the hell is that?" Sam asked appearing back at Dean's side and picking up the little pink paper umbrella sticking out of Dean's drink.

"It's called a hurricane," he said taking a drink, he almost choked on the sickening sweetness, "Yeah thats not happening. I'll take a beer please," Dean called to the bar tender.

"Hey there, your Mr. Trotter right?" River had made her way to his table and now leaned forward so he could hear her and get a look down her shirt.

The older man didn't try to pretend he wasn't enjoying the free show, "Why yes I am and whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" he finally glanced up at River's face as she slid into the booth next to him.

"My name's Rose, I write for the Ohio tribune and I was going to write a little piece about how you are spearheading the renaissance happening in Elizabethtown," she replied sliding the whiskey towards him.

"Well, well, glad the news is spreading. I love good press. "

River started asking the older man different questions, hoping for a diversion to slip some holy water into his drink. He was good at deflecting most of her questions and instead kept sliding closer on the bench. He put his hand on her knee, "You know you could come work for me. Bet you'd make a hell of lot more than you do at the paper."

"What type of work could you offer?" she smiled, trying not to rip his hand from his wrist.

"Some call it the oldest profession in the world. I like to call it entrepreneurship, each girl is her own boss. I take a small commission to keep things clean and safe." River nodded as if seriously entertaining the proposition to be a prostitute when she heard Sam yell "Gun!" , followed by two quick shots. The crowd quickly scattered and she saw the brothers run towards the gunman. She jumped out of the booth and ran towards the man who had been shot. Dean had tackled the shooter and Sam was sprinkling holy water on him.

"Hey man, stay with me. Come on." River tried to hold pressure on the gun shot wounds in the man's chest. He took a final breath and died, River sat back on her knees and looked over at the shooter. "What the hell did you do?"

"He slept with my wife," the man sobbed. She looked up at Dean and Sam, her hands and arms were covered in the dead mans blood.

The police arrived less then ten minutes after the shooting and quickly dispersed the rest of the crowd, taking Sam, Dean and River aside for statements. "That's it officer. I heard the shots and saw the guy on the ground, I know some first aid so I thought I could help. But really those two guys over there, they're heroes. Probably stopped that guys from shooting up the place." River smiled, knowing the last thing Dean and Sam wanter was more attention.

"I'm going back my room, I'll have pizza and beer if you two golden boys want to join me later." River sidled up to the brothers after giving her statement, she had got most of the blood of her arms, "Have fun with the paparazzi." She smiled as the local newspaper photographer arrived and was being ushered towards the brothers.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

"You gonna eat all this pizza yourself? Or would you like some company?" the neck-bearded pizza delivery guy ogled at River. She grabbed the pizza boxes with one hand, balancing them on her hip and holding out a twenty for the guy.

"I have plans," she answered, trying to shut the door. The guy stuck his foot in the doorjamb, blocking it from closing. River opened the door back up and stared at the guy, incredulous that this oompa loompa fucker had so much guts.

"I can pay you," He held the twenty back towards River. She set the pizza boxes down on the table next to the door and was reaching for her gun when Dean grabbed neckbeard from behind by the trapezius and growled, "I think you should leave, unless you want to loose that foot." Sam came to stand next to River, the much taller man tensing. River smiled, these two guys had impeccable timing as usual.

"Hey man, I'll just watch, I don't even need to participate," Neckbeard was glancing between Dean, Sam and River. Sam and River's bitch face went into full force.

"The fuck is wrong with this town? I'm wearing Pokemon pajamas and no fucking makeup. You think these two would pay me…. wait, is that a compliment being compared to a whore," River looked up at Sam. Sam gave her a quizzical shrug of the shoulders. "Do I look like a whore? Do they look like they need to pay for sex?…You know what ? I'm gonna shoot him," River turned again towards her gun.

"I'd run, she's a good shot," Dean said to neckbeard, as Sam grabbed the gun out of River's hand. Neckbeard jogged clumsily down the hallway, "Well that was entertaining." Dean said, closing the door to River's room.

"You know I really hate this town, I hate everyone in it. I need to re-evaluate my life choices," River ranted as she slammed the pizza boxes down on the small dining table.

"Is that a ninja sword?" Dean picked up River's katana off the small dining table, he pulled the shiny black scabbard off to reveal the glinting steel sword.

"Dean, please don't play with that, it's very sharp and very old," Dean proceeded to swing the katana around while making ninja movie noises. She gave Sam an exasperated sigh, "He's the older one?"

River's phone vibrated next to the pizza boxes and she picked it up to check the caller ID. "Must be my lucky fucking night," she mumbled declining the call. "So, I obviously didn't get to dose Trotter with holy water what with the whole shooting and murder earlier but he gave me his office address and told me he had a 2 o'clock meeting tomorrow, which means his office should be empty," She said opening a beer. "Maybe one of you hooligans can break and enter?"

Her phone started ringing again, "Just silence it. There's a Chuck Norris marathon on." Dean said, turning on the tv and making himself comfy on the bed.

"I'll be back in a few," River said, picking up the phone and shutting herself in the bathroom, she turned on the sink trying to drown out her conversation. Dean and Sam exchanged looks before they both walked to the shut bathroom door, straining to hear River over the water.

"You're not Corey, you're a freak wearing a Corey meat suit…. I didn't kill any kids…I don't have any friends…I'm tired, I'm so tired of this game…you can find me, I'll leave my door unlocked," there were a few more exchanges that were all but indiscernible through the door. Dean's jaw clenched and Sam gave him a worried look. They heard River turn the water off and grab the door knob. She took a startled step back, looking up at the men crowding the tiny doorframe.

"Your crazy ex?" Dean asked, him and Sam standing shoulder to shoulder and blocking River from leaving the bathroom.

"I never said I had a crazy ex. I guess the whole shut door, private conversation was lost on you two, huh? " River asked, reflecting Sam's bitchface, "It's a long story and I don't really want you two involved."

"Consider us involved," Dean asnwered leaning into the doorjamb. River sighed and pushed her hair out of her face.

Sam and Dean exchanged another look, "Who's on the phone, River?" Sam asked, always the one to play good cop.

She wrapped her hands around her hips and looked up at them, "Are you going to interrogate me in the bathroom or can I at least drink my beer?" The brothers stepped away from the door frame and let her through, "thanks." She mumbled sarcastically going back to the table. "He's…it's a shifter, it's been stalking me , calls me, leaves messages, texts, if I don't answer he'll kill someone."

"Why is it stalking you?" Sam asked, Dean remained silent.

"I worked with a hunter named Corey for about six months. We met in San Francisco during a hunt for the same vamp. We became friends, decided to work together. Safety in numbers or some shit... Anyways eventually Corey and I headed north into Washington and started tracking three shifters, one adult and two juveniles, that had been murdering families and assuming their lives. "

"Kid shifters?" Dean finally spoke.

" Look, they were just as god damn evil as the father. I saw… you have no idea what they did to those families. They slaughtered six families before we caught them. I didn't kill any kids, I killed two monsters." River angrily wiped away tears that had rolled down her cheeks. "Corey went after the adult, the father. He told me got him, it was done. I didn't double check. I trusted him."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"A few weeks went by and nothing. Then one night Corey shows up at my motel room, he was supposed to be on some hot date with this hunky bar tender he met the night before. I let him in, thought he needed to vent about a bad date. I turned around and Corey grabbed me, started chocking me, before I blacked out I saw it's eyes. It was the shifter, it must've tracked us. It..um," she wiped away more tears, "I woke up the next morning alone. My journal and one of my phones were gone. I found Corey in the trunk of the car in pieces. The phone calls started a few days later."

"Did you try getting a new phone?" Dean piped up.

River took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Yes, Dean. I stopped answering the calls, got a new phone and he killed someone. Somehow he got my new number and sent me pictures. I can't risk it killing anyone else, my journal had names of hunters and civilians I've worked with."

"How long has this been going on?" Sam asked.

"Two years."

"Jesus Christ, River. Why didn't you ask other hunters for help?" Dean said sitting forward in his chair.

"I did. It didn't go well." She looked across the table at the the brothers, "Look, this isn't something you guys need to worry about. You already saved my life once, I don't need saving from this. It just is what it is. I figure one day he'll get tired of this game and we can end it. One way or another."

The conversation ended there, they sat at the table silently for a while. Dean eventually went back to the Chuck Norris marathon and River and Sam discussed the next steps for the case. River watched as Dean eventually fell asleep sitting up, head tilted back on the headboard.

"I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll take Trotter's office tomorrow, see if we can find any leads. Dean, you coming?" Sam stood up from the table closing his laptop, most of the pizza and beer gone. River was sitting on the bed watching tv next to Dean, who was still asleep.

Dean woke up from his nap,"Yeah, after this part's over." Sam shrugged his shoulders at River, who glanced at Dean then at the clock on the night stand. "Make yourself at home, Winchester." River said, getting up to brush her teeth. She came back to the bedroom a few minutes later and the credits were rolling. Dean had grabbed his flannel jacket and was waiting by the door. "Good night?" River asked, she didn't entirely like the look on Dean's face.

"What else happened?" he said simply.

"I told you enough. You need to stop trying to save everyone else. I've got my whole life to deal with that fucker. You have less than a year ," she opened the door of her room to let him out.

"Lock your door." Dean said planting himself in the hallway.

"Yes, sir," she smiled at him again before closing the door. He didn't move until he heard the deadbolt and chain slide into place. Dean walked past Richie's room, noting it was dark and quiet. Maybe he actually did have a date with that hot bar tender.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

"Richie, man, where are you? Call me." Dean hung up his cellphone and tucked it back in his pocket.

"We'll find him, maybe he stayed at Casey's. Its still early." Sam said, pulling on a clean shirt.

"Yeah, maybe. That guy, he's an idiot but he's a good guy, Sammy." Dean double checked his pockets, gun, wallet, keys, everything in order he followed his younger brother out of the room. "I can't get a read on this place. Something just feels off." Dean said, locking their motel room.

The brothers spent the morning getting breakfast and then canvassing Trotter's office. Sam would have an easy entrance and exit as long as Trotter stayed out. "Where are you going?" Sam asked his brother as they got ready to split up.

"I'm gonna go check out the bar, see if Casey's shift started." Dean still hadn't heard from Richie and a sense of dread was growing.

"Alright, let me know if you need anything." Sam climbed out of the Impala and went to take a seat in the buildings lobby, waiting for Trotter to leave.

Dean went to the bar but Casey's shift didn't start until 7pm. That small morsel of info cost him $50 to the bartender on duty. "Son of bitch." Dean muttered angrily, leaving the bar. He'd left a dozen messages for Richie with not so much as a text back. Sam was busy and he didn't feel like driving back to the motel knowing Richie wouldn't be there anyways. He pulled his phone back out of his pocket and called River.

"Hey hot stuff. What are you up to?" River answered, Dean heard muffled talking and banging in the background.

"Have you heard from Richie?" Dean asked her.

"No, maybe he's still with his booty call…or he's been brutally murdered and laying in ditch somewhere. God damn it. Did you try tracking his phone?"

"No.. I uh, um Sam's usually the one who does that stuff. He's waiting for Trotter to leave his office." Dean answered, mentally cursing himself. He should have had Sam do that hours ago.

"Hey, sparky, I already warned you once. You touch that washer again and I will throat punch you." River suddenly yelled into the phone.

"Where the hell are you?" Dean asked.

"I'm at the laundromat. I think there's a hellgate behind the change machine. Look, I can try tracking his phone for you. Come meet me, I'm not leaving my laundry unattended around these sharks." Dean hung up his phone and climbed back into Baby. The laundromat was across the street from the motel they were staying at. The street was a strange mix of fresh boutique stores, a coffee shop, pawn shop and two sex stores. Dean walked into the laundromat and noticed River near the back sitting on a washing machine reading a book.

"Slaughterhouse-five, I love that book, 'And I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine to keep'." Dean said walking up to her.

"Fuck me, Winchester." The words were out of her mouth before she could catch them. She blushed scarlet, biting her lower lip and replacing her bookmark to hold her place. "That's not fair. You can't waltz in here looking like that and quoting Vonnegut, you're gonna make panties drop," she looked up into his green eyes, he still had a few inches on her even sitting on the washing machine.

"Yeah? I got Baby right around the corner. Her back seats a lot roomier than it looks. I bet we could have a lot of fun," Dean smiled seductively at her and moved between her dangling legs, "I'll quote all the Vonnegut you want, if it'll get you outta that Misfits shirt."

"You must be desperate Winchester. Having a difficult time getting laid in this shit hole town; you'd settle on a snarky, potty mouthed ginger thats one donut away from wearing stretch pants full time," she said gently pushing him away.

"I love donuts," Dean leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Do you still have that little purple vibrator?"

River's breath hitched in her chest and it took her a moment to form a coherent sentence, "I…um…I lost it somewhere, fell out of my bag." she could feel the warmth blooming from her chest and back into her cheeks.

"We could pick out a new one." He planted his hands on her hips, pulling her towards him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, forgetting for a moment they were in a crowded laundry mat. Her heart pounded in her chest, they were so close she could see the lite freckles across his nose. River ran her fingers through his hair, something she'd been dying to do for weeks. Dean closed his eyes and made a noise between a purr and a growl from somewhere deep in his chest.

"Contrary to how I may present myself and the things that sometimes pop out of my mouth unchecked, I do have an ounce of self respect left and no desire to become one of Dean Winchester's sexual conquests. You have a reputation, " she said pulling her laptop of out her messenger bag.

"What sort of reputation? It's not true...actually it probably is."

She smirked, "Gimme a few minutes to trace Richie's number."

Dean backed off and took a drink out of River's coffee cup, black just the way he liked it, "Yes, Dean you can have some of my coffee." River told him, glancing sideways away from the laptop, "Richie's phone last pinged at 3569 Vineyard, its been stationary for the last nine hours."

"And so it goes," Dean quoted another Vonnegut line, "I'll go check it out." He turned to leave and River grabbed his arm.

"Let me grab my stuff, Winchester. I'm coming with you."

"I can handle it." He told her.

"Yeah, I know you can. But you don't need too, I'm really not the world's biggest bitch. He's a hunter and he's your friend." She grabbed her laptop and bag, laundry forgotten and followed Dean to his car.

She climbed in on the passenger side and Dean saw her take a furtive glance at the backseat, she met his eyes briefly and blushed again. "Fucking red heads," he thought to himself.

River patted the vinyl seat, admiring the car and the obvious care the Dean treated it with. "She's an orgasm on wheels," she said half to herself. Dean smiled again and gunned the car down Main street. They drove mostly in silence, punctuated in short spurts by one or both of them singing along to an Iron Maiden chorus. River checked online records for the owner of the house they were driving to, "Of course it belongs to Casey, the bar tender with the 'ass that could fit on a nickel'. That was the term wasn't it? If we were going by size comparison would you say my ass would fit on a silver dollar?"

Dean threw his back and laughed, "You're an asshole."

The Impala pulled up to an older, hacienda style house on the outskirts of town fifteen minutes later. The house was surrounded by a vineyard that hadn't been properly tended to in several years. Dean popped the trunk of Baby and handed River an automatic handgun taking a shotgun for himself. "You know, if we live through this mess we could go get a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine and discuss literature." River said, tucking an extra magazine into her back pocket.

Dean double checked that his shotgun was locked and loaded, "Wine?"

"It's what grown ups drink while talking about grown up things, like books." River smiled at him as they walked up to the house.

"Wait, did you just ask me out on a date?" Dean asked her pausing at the door.

"No, I suggested we go get drinks." The front door was locked but Dean made quick work of it. He took point, silently entering the house, shotgun expertly training left and right checking for anyone or anything hiding. River entered a second later turning to the other hallway, the house seemed empty, furniture draped in dust covers. "Here," Dean heard River whisper from down the hall. She stood in front of an ornate door, it was unlocked and a stairway led down into a basement.

Dean and River exchanged a look before heading down the stairs. The stairs emptied into a large basement, dusty wine racks lined the walls and in the middle of floor laid Richie. "Shit, Richie." Dean muttered, kneeling beside his friend. Richie's neck had been snapped, his face now pointing towards his back. Dried blood was caked at his nose and ears, his eyes still open.

River gently closed his eyes and turned his head back to the correct position, "I'm sorry, Dean. Does he have any family we should contact before we…"

"I'll call Bobby. He'll know who to contact…we should burn him," Dean told River his voice stoic, eyes unreadable. She nodded silently and watched as Dean picked up the smaller man, holding him gently. They took the body of the fallen hunter to an open field behind the house and gave him a proper but quick hunters burial. They stood silently, watching the flames devour Richie's body. River took Dean's hand, he pulled her into his chest , wrapping both arms around her. "I'm so tired of this, I just want it to end." His voice cracked slightly and River's heart broke, knowing he was talking about his ever approaching death.

"You feel like playing bait?" River asked as the flames died out, leaving Richie as nothing but a pile of ashes. "We still got a few hours before Casey's shift starts," River led Dean back into the wine cellar. "You think you can sweet talk your way back here after her shift," she tugged at the large oriental rug covering the middle of the room, revealing the bare cement floor underneath.

Dean flipped through his dad's journal until he found the page he was looking for, the layout of a proper Devil's Trap, "I'll get her here. Trap her, see if we can get any useful info then we exorcise the bitch."

They finished painting the Devil's trap on the floor and hid it under the Oriental rug. "I'll find Sam, come back here and we'll wait for you and Casey," she repeated the plan back to Dean before climbing out of Baby. Dean watched in the rearview mirror as she walked back to the laundromat instead of the motel, checking to see if her clothes were still there no doubt.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

"Mother fuck, fucking, damn it. So sick and tired of losing clothes… What, Dean?" River answered her phone mid-rant, she stood in front of her very diminished pile of clothes. It had obviously been picked over and was strewn over several tables and bins in the laundromat.

"You ok there, Riv?" Dean was laughing on the other end as he drove to the bar to try and meet with Casey.

"Yup, great sugar lips. Half my god damn shirts are gone and pretty sure some of my underwear which is just creepy. But I guess no one here wears size 8 in women's skinny jeans or a 32-C, because thank heavens my spare bra and pants are still here," She angrily shoved her clothes into her bag and trudged back across the street to the motel, " I can't wait to get out of this armpit town. Get off the phone and go charm that demon bitch bar tender. I'll find Sam." River went back to her dingy room and traded her bag of clothes for her katana and truck keys. She tried knocking on the boys room, but Sam didn't answer. "Sam, hey we need to talk. Dean and I think we know who/what is behind the shenanigans here. Call me ASAP, we gotta get ready." Her call went directly to Sam's voicemail as she walked back to her blue truck parked in the pot hole marred parking lot of the Good Nite Inn.

Her gear box was hidden in the bed of the truck, she had spent quite a lot of time and effort enchanting the locks on the box. It would only open with her hands laid on it and her voice speaking the unlocking incantation. The lid popped open and she grabbed a mojo bag, two bottles of holy water, some salt and a small sawed-off shotgun. The mojo bag she tied on one of her belt loops, she still wasn't sure if the damn thing actually worked or if she had just been really lucky to not be hexed or possessed yet. She glanced at her phone again, no calls from Sam and the minutes were ticking by rather more quickly then she anticipated. "Well, shit," she muttered to herself. She hopped in the truck and drove to Trotter's building, maybe something had gone south or Sam had lost track of time going through Trotter's office. She pulled up to the building and saw Mr. Trotter standing outside talking to two uniformed police officers. He was gesticulating wildly, arms raised above his head like he was describing someones height. River slowed the truck as much as she dared and coasted by straining her ears to listen to Trotter, "This guy was freaking six and half feet tall and he, he threw water in my face and stole the bullets out of my handgun, which is registered of course officer…"

"Double shit, Sam god damn it where are you?" she thought as she drove away from Trotters. If she called Dean and told him she couldn't find Sam, he might back out of trying to trap Casey. If she didn't call Dean and something had happened to Sam, well that just wasn't an option. The clock on her dashboard read 7:30, Casey should be on shift and hopefully Dean could get her to take him home. She tried calling Dean, but he didn't answer, probably because he can't hear his damn phone in that bar, she thought again.

River decided to drive to the bar and try to talk to Dean, maybe he'd have a better idea where to find his brother. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, it was a text message from Dean, "Leaving now." she gripped the steering wheel of her Blue Monster and steered towards Vineyard, she tried calling Sam again with no response.

"Why don't I show you around? We can get comfortable downstairs." Casey led Dean down the stairs into her basement.

"Looks like it's the maids day off." Dean quipped at the bottom of the stairs, Casey faltered for a moment, glancing around the room. "Everything ok?" Dean asked again, she shrugged her jacket off and planted a small kiss on Dean's lips. He leaned against one of the walls, watching Casey lite some candles. "Oh, I forgot to mention, Richie was a friend of mine." Casey paused, slowly straightening up. "I got a friend to track the GPS in his phone, we swung by earlier and gave him a proper burial. Better than rotting in some skanks basement." With that Casey turned to face Dean, she let out a feral growl and charged at him. She got within inches of his smirking face before she rebounded off an invisible barrier, fell hard on her ass and looked up at the hunter. "Whoops." Dean said, picking up a corner of the rug to reveal the devil's trap underneath.

River pulled up to the house a few minutes later. She glanced in the Impala, empty of course. The front door was open, she pulled out her handgun and quickly scanned the entry way before heading to the back of the hallway. A strong wind was racing up the stairs and she could just hear Dean's faltering voice, he had had started the exorcism with out her and was failing miserable."Dean! Dean, I'm here!." she yelled into the wind, whether her sound reached him River couldn't tell. She took the stairs two at a time, the wind nearing hurricane levels at the bottom. The pages of Deans notebook flew uselessly around the room, Dean as usual had not memorized the incantation and stood trying to remember the last lines. River ran into the room, saw Casey in the Devils Trap and began to recite the exorcism, "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo, omnis legio diabolica, adiuramus te…" Casey screamed in frustration and with a wave of her hand, the winds picked up, she flung River back into the wall.

"River!" Dean yelled, barely remaining upright against the winds. River tried to stand and Casey whipped her hand again, sending River flying out the door and crashing into the stairs. River struggled to get up, wincing at the pain in her hip and ribs when the house began to shake on its foundation, the doorway collapsed trapping Dean and Casey on the other side. River pulled herself up , staggering slightly as her ankle nearly buckled.

"Dean, Dean god damn it! Can you hear me!" she screamed into the pile of rubble.

"I'm here River, I'm good. The bitch is still trapped. I think there's a coal shoot coming down he side of the house maybe you and Sammy can pull me up." Dean yelled back.

"Yeah, about that…I don't know where the hell Sammy is. He wouldn't answer his damn phone."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Dean kicked the wall in frustration, causing the pile of rubble to shift slightly. River and Dean jumped back on their respective sides of the wall.

"I'll go back upstairs and see if I can find that opening and some rope or something. Oh and thanks for following the plan and waiting for me, douche!" She limped slowly up the stairs, cursing with each step, "Son of bitch, suicidal, asshat…"

"Don't worry Dean, we won't be stuck down here long." Casey called to him.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked her.

"You didn't think I was alone did you?" she replied, laying on the ground on her back, still stuck in the Demon's trap, humming softly to herself. Dean couldn't help but admire the body the demon inhabited, the young woman was gorgeous, thin, small waist, round breasts, "Why Dean is that lust in your eyes? You know thats a sin right? Oh wait, you already bought your self a one way ticket."

"What's it like down there?" Dean asked her.

"What, hell? Well, since hundreds of us all jockeyed to be first out of the gate and escape, what do you think? It's not an all inclusive resort. And with your reputation…lets just say you don't have the presidential suite reserved. There's dozens, maybe hundreds of my kind that can't wait to get their chance at making you suffer." She smiled at him, Dean shifted on his feet. What the hell was taking River so long?

River made her way slowly and painfully up the stairs, limping on her injured ankle and swearing under her breath at the pain in her bruised ribs. It took her several minutes but she finally made it to the top of the stairs and then hobbled out the front door just in time to see Sam getting out of a car, flanked by a man in a priest frock. "Where the hell have you been, Sasquatch!" River limped as quickly as could over to the tall man.

Sam embraced her in a quick hug, "River what the hell happened? I haven't been able to get any reception on my phone all day."

River was about to lay into him when she turned her attention to the priest,"Who the hell are you?"

"Sam! Sammy! Down here! The basement caved in! Me and Casey are stuck down here. Where the hell have you been man!" Dean yelled for his younger brother and Sam ran to the sound of his voice and looked down the small coal shoot to see the face of his worried brother, "Who are you with? Where's River?"

"River's fine! I'm with Father Gil, he helped me find you guys," Sam yelled back down to Dean.

"Sammy be careful!" Dean said, hoping Sam got the hint. Dean figured it was Father Gil that Casey had been waiting for.

"How'd the hell you know where we would be?" River asked the priest, slowly reaching into her jacket pocket to pull out her small bottle of holy water. Sam came running back around the front of the house, realizing to late that Father Gil wasn't all he seemed to be. The priests eyes turned jet black as River managed to splash him with the holy water, he screamed in pain as his skin erupted in burns and blisters. The demon glared at River and Sam and sent them sprawling into the hard ground, River cried out again landing on her bruised hip. The demon lunged at River when a bullet ricocheted inches from it's head causing him to turn and face the shooter.

"Bobby!" Sam yelled triumphantly at his surrogate father. The demon growled in anger and used its powers to shove Bobby into the side of his car. The priest/demon left the humans and walked into the house, heading to the basement.

Sam helped River stand and they ran together to check Bobby. "Here, take it and go!" Bobby handed Sam a pistol.

"Holy crap, is that the Colt? I thought it was in pieces?" River asked.

"I think he said 'GO'," a new voice rang out from behind the three hunters. Ruby, the blonde haired demon walked slowly around Bobby's truck. Sam threw a quick glance at Ruby before grabbing the gun from Bobby and running into the house after the priest.

"What the hell, Bobby? How'd you get here? Who is this?" River demanded, as she and the older hunter helped each other stand.

"Sam called me, told me he thought you and Dean where in trouble. This is Ruby…"

"Wait, demon Ruby?" River asked. Sam had briefly mentioned having a demonic contact that seemed to be on their side. "She came with you?" River looked at Bobby in shock, "Your not seriously buying this demon with a heart of gold bullshit are you?"

"You know, I'm right here you judgmental bitch," Ruby yelled at the red headed hunter.

River turned on the demon and limped towards her, "How old is that girl your possessing? Where is her family? What sort of damage have you done to her body? Will she live when I fucking exorcise you?"

Father Gil calmly strode down the stairs leading to the wine cellar, stopping at the caved in door way. He held out a hand and the pile of cement blocks and wood shattered and burst apart. Dean dived out of the way of the flying projectiles. "Wait! Don't," Casey yelled at the priest before he could step into the Devil's trap, he leaned down and smashed his fist into the cement breaking the seal. He then grabbed his lover around her waist and pulled her into a passionate, hungry kiss.

"You two are a thing? Really?" Dean said disgustedly.

"We've been together for centuries." Casey answered, still holding tightly onto her mate. A shot range out and a deadly red flower blossomed on the front of Father Gil's shirt, his body shook and bright orange lite shone through his skin as the demon inside was destroyed. "No!" Casey screamed in agony as she watched her lover die.

Dean turned towards the open doorway and saw his younger brother train the Colt on Casey. Sam pulled the trigger and shot Casey in the head. Her body crumpled to the floor where she fell next to the corpse of Father Gil.

"I helped fix the Colt. I helped Bobby find you and I think we just saved your ass from getting stomped." Ruby yelled into River's face. Sam and Dean walked out of the house together and saw River and Ruby standing toe to toe in a screaming match. Bobby stood back silently watching the hunter and demon, he glanced at his boys and shrugged his shoulders.

"River! River! Relax we can deal with this later," Dean placed his hand on the shorter woman's shoulder to get her attention. That was apparently the wrong move because River did an abrupt about face and turned on the green eyed man.

"What in the everliving fuck was that Dean? Huh? The plan was for you to trap that bitch and wait…W.A.I.T. for me and Sam."

"I had it handled," he said, taking a half step back from her. Her red hair had come loose from its normal messy bun and framed her pale face in fiery waves.

"Had it handled? What? With your spark notes version of an exorcism. You could have been killed," her anger was like a furnace sending waves of heat towards Dean, "You might want all this end, to be over with but what about the rest of us? We're just supposed to go on with our lives when you fucking die, right? God Damn it!" she clenched her fists tightly at her sides, she wanted to punch him in his handsome face but figured the movement would be agony on her ribs and at the moment he wasn't worth it.

"River…" Dean began, but was quickly lost for words.

River angrily wiped tears away from her eyes, she had no control over the tears just like the blushing they revealed her emotions to everyone. She took a deep breath and turned to face Sam, even though he had nearly 12 inches on the woman he almost jumped away from her, demons he could handle, angry red heads was new territory. "Good night Sam." She limped over to Bobby and gave him a hug, "I've been wanting to meet you in person for so long, Good night, Bobby," she turned back to the blonde demon, "I don't trust you, I don't like you, you fuck with these men and you will regret the moment you crawled out of the pit." Ruby glared at her and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. River then limped down the long drive way back to her blue truck.

"River, wait…" Dean yelled at her, she flipped him her middle finger before peeling out of the driveway and away from the three men.

Bobby waited until she drove away before losing his self control, he laughed hysterically, bending over to catch his breath. Sam and Dean looked at the older man. "What's so funny, Bobby?"

"You two, I've never seen two full grown men so afraid of a woman. Ya'll obviously never dealt with a red head before. Word of advice, Dean: I'd apologize, grovel, get on your hands and knees to get back on the woman's good side."


	10. Chapter 10

10.

River sped back to the motel, music blasting her eardrums. Her left ankle was on fire, definitely not broken but sprained and swelling, her boot beginning to get tight. Once back in her room she took a long, hot shower, giving her plenty of time for her anger at Dean to dissipate. She changed into her favorite Harry Potter pj's and glanced in the full length mirror by her bed. Her right side and hip were bruised, the bruise leaching down half her thigh in ugly black and blue streaks. "You are one sexy bitch," she muttered to herself. She made herself an icepack, opened one of the bottles of wine she had stolen from Casey's and flipped on the tv. Her phone buzzed just as she got comfortable.

"You wanna head out early tomorrow Bobby?" Sam asked the older hunter when they got back to the motel. Bobby grunted an affirmative, trying to get comfortable on the lumpy couch in the boys room. Dean was still in the shower, the steam curling under the door. "You think everything's ok with Dean?" Sam asked laying down on his bed and opening his laptop to check emails.

"As opposed to what, boy?" Bobby asked, his voice slightly muffled by the hat he had pulled down over his face. A moment later Dean emerged from the foggy bathroom wearing flannel pajama pants and a plain white shirt.

"You think that coffee shop down the street is still open?" he asked Sam, searching his duffle bag for a minute before pulling out a battered paperback book.

"Ah, no Dean, its almost midnight. What the hell do you want coffee for anyways. Get some sleep so we can get outta this dump in the AM." Sam replied to his older brother.

"Yeah, your right," Dean flopped down on his bed and opened his book. Sam looked over at his brother, he knew Dean read but he usually did it in secret. As if his self imposed image of masculinity would be shattered if the world knew Dean Winchester was a book nerd.

Sam smirked, "Whatcha reading?"

"Just a …some smut I picked up at the gas station." Dean said turning on his side away from his brother, he was in fact reading something by William Faulkner.

"Would you idijits shut up so a man can get some sleep," came the disgruntled bitching from under Bobby's hat. Dean readjusted in bed, flipping the pages in his book, he'd lost his place and couldn't focus. He finally gave up and set his book down on the nightstand between his and Sam's bed. Dean paced the room a few times before walking to the decrepit coffee pot in the corner, he rooted around in the cabinet it was sitting on before finding a packet of coffee.

"Dean, what the hell you doin' boy. Get some sleep." Bobby finally sat up on the couch and watched Dean, Sam was also looking at him with a bemused smile.

The coffee pot beeped when it was done and Dean poured two cups of coffee before heading to the door. "Sammy get the door would you?" Dean asked.

"Dean, what hell dude?" Sam asked. Dean crossed the hallway to River's room, he tried balancing the cups in one hand so he could knock on the door and finally gave up. He leaned forward and banged his head on the door a few times.

"Thank you for being a friend…" River was quietly singing along to the Golden Girls theme song when she heard a muffled knock at her door. She set her glass of wine down and grabbed the silver knife she kept under her pillow. She limped towards the door and checked the peephole, Dean was grinning back at her. She opened the door as far as the chain would reach, "What do you want, Winchester?"

Dean smiled at her as she appeared in the door, "You said if we survived we should get coffee and…talk about books." Dean held up the cups of coffee, she reached through the door and took one of the cups.

"Here," She handed the silver knife back through the door, Dean grabbed it without hesitation. Satisfied, River shut the door and Dean heard her undo the chain lock before opening the door all the way. He walked in and River glanced across the hall, just seeing Sam's hair whip back and the bill of Bobby's hat sticking out from their doorway.

"What's with the knife, Riv?" Dean asked her, setting the knife down on the table and taking a sip of coffee, he grimaced and choked it down.

"Oh, gawd this tastes like ass," River sputtered behind him, she placed the mug of coffee on the table next the the knife. "Just a precaution. I think I pissed off my friend the other night." She handed Dean her phone, "I'm sorry. You guys really don't need any of my bullshit." Dean swiped through the photos, there were a few distance shots of River walking in front of the hotel and a closer shot of River and Dean at the laundromat, River's legs wrapped around his waist as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"It's here. Now?" Dean asked shutting the phone off.

"Yeah or he was. He hasn't been this close in a while, at least I don't think he has," River crossed her arms over her chest, a chill had run up her spine and now she was self-conscious that she didn't have a bra on under the thin top.

Dean looked over at her, noticing the pink color in her cheeks and the Hufflepuff tank top stretched across her chest. "I'm in Gryffindor, at least thats what the website told me." Dean said, taking a few steps towards her.

She smiled, relaxing her arms, "Of course you are, 'You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart," she blushed and giggled, "Oh man, I've had too much wine or maybe not enough."

Dean smiled, "You're drunk?"

"Yeah, a little bit. If I knew you were coming I would have brushed my hair and not had that third glass of wine," she laughed again and then winced, one hand going to support her ribs.

"You ok?" Dean moved towards her, hands wrapping protectively around her waist, "Shit, River, is anything broken?" He bent down to looking at the huge, ugly bruise on her thigh.

Her breath caught as he ran his calloused hand along the tender skin, her entire body went rigid at his touch, "No, nothings broken. Just sore." He stood, trailing his hand up under the hem of her shirt, she moved her arm so he could lift the shirt up to look at the purple and blue marks. His fingers delicately probed from her ribs down to rest on her hip.

"Rest, ice, recuperate you'll be good in a few days," Dean said, not removing his hand from her hip.

"Yeah, thanks Dr. Sexy, I'm an RN, remember?" she said looking into his emerald eyes.

"Dr. Sexy always gets the hot nurse at the end," he smiled down at her.

Before she could make a snarky comment on his cheesy pick up line Dean tilted his head and slowly lowered his face towards her. She stood on the toes of her uninjured foot to meet his lips. His lips were soft and tender so different from the rough, strong hand that still gripped her hip. River's hands went to rest on his shoulders as she deepened the kiss, running her tongue over his lower lip before it slipped inside his mouth. Dean raised his free hand and tenderly massaged her right breast, his thumb flicking her nipple through the thin tank top. River moaned into his mouth as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closer to him, she pressed up higher on her toes wanting to be as close to him as possible. "Ow, ow, shit," River broke the kiss and settled back down on her feet, her sprained ankle had seized up and she bent down to rub it, "Yeah , definitely not drunk enough," She muttered as she slowly stood back up. Dean's eyes had a glazed look as he watched her grab the silver knife off the table and limp back to the bed. She gingerly laid down on the bed and put the homemade ice pack back on her ankle. "Why don't you open another bottle of wine and we'll binge watch the Golden Girls?" She patted the bed next to her, Dean licked his lips still tasting her on them.

"I love the Golden Girls." he said, popping the cork on a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and laying on the bed next to her.

"When I grow old, I want to be like Sophia. Absolutely zero fucks left to give." River murmured, her head resting on Dean's chest, arm wrapped loosely across his body. They had finished the second bottle of wine and were both pleasantly relaxed.

"You're kind of like that already." Dean replied laughing.

"Time for bed, Winchester," she said elbowing him in the ribs and turning the TV off.

Her heart pounded, sweat beginning to bead on her forehead. Her wrists were bound to the bed frame and tied above her head. She pulled with all her strength against the cords trapping her, blood beginning to seep where she had rubbed the skin away. She knew she only had a few more minutes at best to try and escape before he got back. The panic she had held at bay was now blossoming from her chest and moving outwards. "No! No! No" she yelled, thrashing herself awake. She sat up, shaking and sweating, grabbing in the darkness for the silver knife she had laid on the nightstand.

"River, lay back down, you're safe," Dean murmured, reaching his arm back around her waist and gently pulled her towards him. He and Sammy had had enough nightmares through the years, he was instinctively trying to calm her down.

She took a deep shuddering breath, reality settling back in. She was in her bed, Dean Winchester asleep next to her and the both of them somehow still fully clothed. "Two bottles of wine and the Golden Girls marathon, remember?" she thought to herself as she relaxed and let Dean pull her closer. She laid down on her side, away from Dean, he turned towards her, draping his arm protectively across her and pulling her to his chest. His breath was warm against her neck and she quickly fell back asleep.

She awoke a few hours later, not by another nightmare but the intense pressure in her bladder. She tried to move away from Dean, but every time she squirmed a few inches from his chest his arm would tighten like a vice and pull her back. "Dean, I have to pee. Let me go, please." He grunted and loosened his grip on her waist. She quickly got out of bed and ran the few paces to the bathroom. Bladder relieved, face and breath freshened she climbed back into bed next to Dean. "What the hell time is it?" she asked, the room was still pitch black. The motel had apparently spent its budget on top notch black out curtains and nothing else.

"Who cares," Dean murmured into her ear, he had closed the gap between them again. Spooning her from behind, his hand resting on her belly.

"Do you think we should get up?," she asked, not really wanting to. Last night was the best night of sleep she had gotten in several years, including being woken with the nightmare.

"No," was all he said. River relaxed back into his hard, warm chest. Listening to the slow, calm breaths in her ear. The hand Dean had rested on her belly began to slowly slide south. His fingers moving under the elastic band of her shorts then down her underwear. "I wanna stay in bed a while longer," he breathed into her neck, goosebumps erupted everywhere and she shivered against his body. She grabbed his forearm, breaths coming in shallow gasps. "You want me to stop?" he asked, fingers retreating a few inches.

"No, please don't stop," she whispered releasing his arm. His fingers continued on their destination, running slowly through her soft, short curls before expertly finding her clit. She shivered against him again, moaning lowly as he teased her. Deans fingers moved in firm, slow circles. He shifted against her, lips brushing against the back of her; enjoying the moans and pants he was eliciting from her. Dean groaned, his erection throbbing as he dipped two long fingers into River's warm, wet center.

"Oh," she moaned, hips bucking towards his fingers. A few more thrusts of his fingers and Dean turned her onto her back. As he settled himself over her she started shivering again.

"You ok? Did I hurt you?" he asked adjusting himself on his forearms to not put any of his weight on her bruised body.

"No, I'm good. I'm just…it's been a while. I guess I'm just nervous. You have a reputation..." she repeated glad for the relative darkness of the room. Her face felt hot and she knew she was probably scarlet red. "Take your pants off, Winchester." She moved her hands down to the elastic band of his pants and began to pull them down.

There was a loud knock at the door just as River's hand encircled Dean's erection. "You guys coming up for air anytime today? It's almost 9:30, we gotta checkout in thirty minutes," came Sam's voice from the other side of the door.

"Go away, Sammy." Dean yelled over his shoulder.

"Bobby wants breakfast, you know how grumpy he gets when he's hungry." Sam pleaded into the shut door.

"Fucking Winchesters and your perfect timing," River muttered into Dean's chest, she ran her hand up Dean's member one more time, he bucked his hips involuntarily into her. "Can't have a grumpy Bobby on our hands."

"Son of a bitch," Dean said frustrated as he climbed off her and stomped into the bathroom. River got up and opened the curtains , momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight. He came out of the bathroom a moment late adjusting his crotch before walking to the door.

She opened the door and gave Sam a sheepish smile, "Sorry we stayed up kind of late, the clock in here is broken too. Give me ten minutes to get packed up and we can decide on where to get breakfast?" Sam nodded at her. Dean walked out sullenly. "Raincheck?" she called to him as he walked across the hall to his room.

He turned and smiled at her, "Anytime."


	11. Chapter 11

Ch11.

Authors note: thank you for my reviews. And thank you to everyone, all over the world that has read this so far. I am loving writing this story. I'm not going to lie, River is awesome to write. *

River quickly changed out of her pajamas and moist panties. The unfulfilled ache in her lower abdomen reminding her why she had bought that little purple vibrator. "Where the hell did that thing go!" she went through her belongings for the thousandth time, knowing she no longer possessed the vibrator but having no inclination where she might have lost it either.

She dressed in a band shirt per usual, Nirvana today and threw on a loose flannel shirt to top of the grunge look. Flannel apparently being the uniform of choice for the Winchesters and Bobby. "Good riddance, Elizabethtown," River bowed out of the dingy motel room, her belongings stashed in two bags on her shoulder. She had her katana grasped in her hand and the silver knife tucked into her boot. She headed down to the parking lot to pack up her truck and wait for the other hunters to join her. Her big blue truck waited silently for her in the deserted parking lot, the sleek black Impala and Bobby's rust coated car a few spaces away. A bum rooted around one of the giant dumpsters near the back wall of the parking lot. She unlocked the truck and tossed her small purse into the passenger seat. She unlocked the trunk and stored her katana in the enchanted lockbox within, slamming shut the tailgate when she was done.

River sensed a presence behind her a second too late. A strong hand took a handful of her hair snapping her head back painfully as her assailants other arm went around her throat in a chokehold. "Hey there sweetheart," the shifter purred into her ear, dragging his tongue along her earlobe. River shuddered in disgust, renewing her struggle against the much stronger thing holding her. "How about I kill those new friends of yours, then we make up for lost time?" His arm left her throat and he painfully dug his hand into her crotch.

"I'd like to see you try and kill those three," she grunted as she raked her fingernails along the things cheek, peeling away a layer of dirty flesh that looked like chicken skin. The shifter growled in pain and anger, using his leverage and the tangled hold he still had on River's hair he slammed her head forward into the tailgate of her truck. Once, twice then let her drop roughly to the gravel before giving a farewell kick into her ribs sending her skidding ten feet to slam into the front wheels of Baby. She cried out in pain and curled into a fetal position trying to catch her breath. She watched through tear streaked eyes as the bum climbed into her truck. "No, god damnit," she struggled to her feet, pulling the silver knife out of her boot. She struggled for balance, the world tipping and spinning. The shifter started the truck and peeled out of the parking lot, spraying River with gravel and dirt. "Son of a bitch," she screamed in frustration, grabbing her head trying to make the spinning stop. River leaned forward resting her hands on the Impala, trying to calm her shaking body. Fear, disgust and adrenaline were coursing through her, she felt cold sweat dripping down her back.

Dean, Bobby and Sam walked out of the motel a few moments later. "River? Hey, babe, what happened?" Dean ran toward River, turning her to face him, "What the fuck happened, River?" he hadn't meant to yell in her face and she shrunk back away from him.

"Jesus Christ girl," Bobby said, taking in her swelling face and dirty clothes.

"The shifter, it took my truck. All my fucking stuff, everything is in that truck," River said, wincing as Dean brushed hair away from her swollen face.

"Shifter? Someone mind filling me in?" Bobby said. Sam gave Bobby the brief summary as Dean completed his cursory check of River.

"Dean, I'm fine. Can we just get the fuck out of this town and get some breakfast?" River said, brushing his hands away.

River climbed into the back of Baby as the Winchesters and Bobby packed their belongings in their respective trunks and decided on a diner about forty five minutes out of town. "What do you want listen to River?" Dean asked, starting the Impala and glancing at her in the rearview mirror. Sam's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, Dean had never asked Sam let alone someone riding in the backseat to pick the music. "You got any CCR?" she asked, oblivious to the Winchester family rule of driver picking the music and shotgun shutting their cakehole.

"Do I have any Creedence? Sammy you heard the lady," Dean said to his younger brother, pulling out of the parking lot and leaving Elizabeth town in the rearview mirror.

"Do you wanna at least file a police report on the truck? Maybe they'll put a BOLO our and we can track it."Sam said turning in his seat to face River in the back.

"Yeah and then have to answer the questions about why all the VIN numbers are missing and my cache of unregistered weapons. It's just a truck. I just want my toolbox back," she smiled at Sam.

River rested her aching head on the cool window and let the music and the boys voices lull her to sleep. "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Dean reached his arm around and shook River awake.

"What? I'm just resting my eyes." She sat up, wincing and rubbed her temple.

"You probably have a concussion. No sleeping," Dean said, green eyes glaring at her from the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, ok Dr. Sexy," she muttered readjusting in her seat, "Fine. Can I borrow a phone?" Sam dug through his pockets and handed her his cell.

She tapped in a number and waited, "Hey Greg… Yeah I lost my phone…No, I think I'm going to take some more time off…Yeah I got my face bashed in again…" she laughed and rubbed her forehead. "Look, I need to talk to you. Something's happened and you, Sarah and Lucas might be in danger… a shapeshifter" she pulled the phone away from her ear, the man on the other side yelling obscenities at her, "Greg shut the fuck up and listen. If I show up at your place don't let me in, don't answer any calls from my old numbers. Do you have any silver?", Sam and Dean heard more yelling, "Silver, Greg, A knife, a spoon, a fucking letter opener. No one comes in the house without touching silver first, got it?" she paused, listening to more obscenities. "Are you kidding me right now Greg? So a Dybbuk you believe in but Shapeshifter's crossing the line?…What is that supposed to mean…I almost died saving your fucking kid, remember that? I almost bled to death driving that box to the middle of nowhere to bury it…son of a bitch," she snapped the phone closed and handed it back to Sam.

"That sounded like it went well," Dean said.

"Yeah sure as shit did. He just accused me of somehow setting up the whole evil- spirit-that- almost-devoured his child thing. He's scared but at least he fucking hates me now so if that thing shows up at his house dressed up as me hopefully he'll just call 911." She said sitting back and looking out the window, "Hey! Hey, hey stop the fucking car!" River suddenly yelled smacking her hand on the seat between Sam and Dean.

"Ok, shit, chill." Dean slowed the Impala down and pulled it over. River barely let the car come to a stop before jumping out the back seat and jogging down the embankment toward a wooded area off the road. Sam and Dean followed after her, Bobby pulling his car behind the Impala a moment later. The big blue monster was crashed into a tree at the base of the embankment, steam still curling from under the crumpled hood, River's clothes strewn over the field around the truck. Dean ran to River, gun out and protectively put his free arm out in front of her, "I'll check it."

Dean scanned the cab of the truck, Sam circled the front with his gun also out as Bobby made his way to River's side. Sam came back with a piece of stringy flesh hanging off the end of his gun, "It's changed." He flung the discarded skin and wiped his gun in the grass.

"Great," River muttered, picking up her clothes and searching the cab for her purse, "Phones are gone, of course. My wallets still here at least." she said climbing back out, "You think I can still drive this thing?"

Bobby looked at the truck, "Axel's broke, engines fried. I'd say its a lost cause"

"Well, shit." River walked to the back of the truck, looking for her toolbox. She hauled it out of the back and opened it, her weapons and belongings still safe.

"How in the hell does this thing keep finding you?" Dean asked helping River gather up her clothes, "I mean, it's been years right? Since it attacked you, had physical contact before today."

"What are you talkin' about?" Bobby asked.

"The shifter, Bobby, how's it tracking River, it's been following her around for years. Doesn't this shit wear off after a while?" Dean said, walking over to the older hunter. River's stomach knotted with anxiety.

"Usually, the bond grows with time and close proximity. Unless…oh girl, you didn't," Bobby said, looking at River.

"I didn't Bobby," River took a step back, panic flooding her limbs.

"Unless, what Bobby?" Sam asked. A brief look of disgust passed Bobby's features, replaced almost instantly with remorse.

"It's not like that Bobby, please…" River asked, reaching a hand out and taking a step closer to the older man.

"What the hell, Bobby, unless what?" Dean asked.

Bobby looked away from River and to his boys, "When a shifter mates with a human, it can track their mate, read their thoughts, the bond they form is unbreakable."

Sam and Dean looked from Bobby to River, who had shrunk away from the three men, back against her truck.

"You fucked a shifter?" Dean shot at her, disgust dripping from his voice and evident on his face. Sam stood stock still, muscles twitching in his jaw.

"I didn't know…I met a guy at a bar, I was lonely, it happened a few months after Corey was killed," River stammered, nervously twisting a shirt she was holding in her hands.

"So you took some random guy home, you didn't think maybe to check that he wasn't a monster," Dean yelled.

"Oh thats rich coming from the crown prince of one night stands," She yelled back as anger flared in her driving away the anxiety for a moment, "Are you trying to tell me before you stick your dick in a random chick you put her through a monster test?"

"You're a hunter, you should've known better!" he retorted jabbing his index finger at her accusingly.

His words hit her like a punch in the stomach. "God damn you are John Winchesters son," she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean said, turning back to her.

"You want to know what happened, Dean? I took a guy home from a bar and we started fucking. Except he's too strong, he starts hurting me. I told him to stop and he wouldn't. He laughed. He fucking laughed at me. He was so strong I couldn't get him off me, so I screamed and that made him mad. His eyes changed and he was so strong..." She repeated taking a deep breath to steady her voice. " He wrapped his hands around my throat and choked me until I passed out." She took a step towards him daring him to back down. "I woke up in some abandoned building, tied up and naked. He kept me there for days. Do you want to know what he did to me?" Dean remained silent, jaw clenched but unwilling to look away from her. "Whatever he wanted to. I just wanted him to kill me and he wouldn't. He just laughed and kept hurting me. Day after day after day. He finally left to go get food and I broke my own thumb in order to get my wrists loose and ran. The only number I could think of was John Winchester's. So I called your dad and told him everything that had just happened to me, told him I'd been beaten, raped and fucking tortured by a monster and asked him for help. Begged him for help. I was alone and lost and scared. You know what your daddy told me ?" She took a step closer to him, angry tears finally falling from her eyes. "He couldn't help me, busy on another case or some shit. He told me I was a hunter and I should've known better." Her voice cracked and she swallowed thickly. "So I hung up on him. I hung up on the late great John Winchester. The man who saved my life. That was the last time I ever talked to him. That was the last time I ever asked anybody for help."

Dean turned and stalked back to the Impala. "I'm sorry, River. I shouldn't 've said anything," Bobby walked up to her, taking her into a bear hug. She tensed for a moment before laying her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." She murmured into his shoulder.

"You're supposed to come to breakfast. And then we'll figure out what comes after." Bobby told her rubbing her back gently.

"Can I ride with you the rest of the way?" she asked him.

"Yeah, girl , as long as you like Kenny Rogers." he answered.

Sam still stood, as if rooted to the spot. "Can you help me put my box in Bobby's car." River asked him.

"Yeah, yeah of course," Sam said, quickly wiping away tears he hadn't noticed falling down his cheeks. River, Sam and Bobby quickly gathered the rest of her belongings before getting back on the road to the diner.

Sam climbed into the Impala with Dean, who sat white knuckling the steering wheel. "I'm gonna find that thing, Sammy," he said to his younger brother.

"I know Dean."

"I'm gonna kill it if it's the last thing I do before I go to the pit," Dean said revving Baby's engine and pulling back onto the interstate. Sam nodded, wiping away another tear.


	12. Chapter 12

12

"John Winchester was a horse's ass," Bobby told River as he started his rust bucket car and followed the Winchesters, "Dean…Dean's an idjit but he's a good man."

River smiled at him, "I know Bobby."

The caravan arrived at their destined stop, The Bluebird, about twenty minutes later. "Maybe you can just get me a veggie burger to go." River told Bobby, looking at the reflection of the bruise on her forehead that had begun to seep down the side of her face.

"Here," Bobby reached into the glovebox and procured another hat. River gingerly pulled the hat over the bruise and adjusted her hair to cover what remained visible. "That'll do." She muttered. They met the Winchesters at the entrance to the restaurant. River avoided Dean's eyes.

"Oooh pie!" River and Dean said simultaneously noticing the rotating display of pies. Bobby and Sam exchanged a glance before flagging down a waitress to seat them. Once the four hunters were seated, black coffees ordered they sat in awkward silence. Dean drummed his fingers on the table while River arranged and rearranged her silverware. The waitress returned with steaming hot cups of coffee and begun to take orders.

"Alright, I gotta short stack, the egg white omelete, the double bacon cheeseburger and what do you want?" the waitress turned to River. "Chef salad, no bacon. Dressing on the side," she said handing the menu over.

"On a diet? You know losing weight is 80% diet, 20 % exercise. I'm a personal trainer also." River looked up a the waitress, noticing for the first time her perfectly coiffed blonde hair, flat stomach, unnatural thigh gap and probably scar free body; so opposite to her round hips, strong thighs, no where near flat stomach and more scars than she cared to count.

"Actually, Trish," River said glancing at her name tag, swallowing her usual bitchy response, " I was saving room for pie. A slice of the strawberry please and I would like it before my salad." The waitress grabbed the menus and turned to walk away with a smile.

"I want pie too!" Dean called to her, "Love me some pie."

Sam's phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket, "Sarah? Oh yes, River's right here."

River nearly jumped out of her seat to grab the phone. "Sarah? I'm so glad you called," she waved to Dean to move so she could scoot out of the booth. She left the restaurant to go to the quiet parking lot, choosing to sit on the hood of Baby. Dean watched her, smiling at the sight of her sitting on his car.

"You listen to me boy," Bobby said, pulling Dean's attention away from watching River, "You ever talk to her like that again and I will beat the snot outta you."

"I know, Bobby, I know. I fucked up. I'll make it right," he said, watching as River walked back inside. The waitress bringing her and Dean's pie.

"Mmmm pie," River said, sitting down and taking a bite of her pie.

She went to hand the phone back to Sam, "Keep it, I got a few others. That call go any better?"

"Yeah, she believes me. Said she'll talk to Greg," River said, tucking the phone into her own pocket. Dean and River happily devoured their pie in silence, waiting for the rest of their meal to come.

"So River, Sam told me your from California. Who taught you how to hunt?" Bobby asked between a mouthful of pancake.

"Sakura Yamamoto," she answered, taking a sip of coffee.

"Suki! God damn she was a hell of a woman," Bobby put his fork down, a far away smile forming on his lip, "Hell of a woman" he repeated.

Sam,Dean and River exchanged a look, "You sly dog," Dean said with a knowing smile. River smiled at the three of them, finally relaxing after the fight earlier. "I couldn't believe when I heard a damn Tik-Tik got Suki." Bobby said, going back to his pancakes.

"It wasn't a Tik-tik, it was Hell Hounds," she told Bobby. The Winchesters and Bobby stopped eating and looked at River.

"Suki made a deal?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, after her family was killed. It was a drunk driver, guy had money and friends in high places. He was never charged. He killed her husband and two kids," River sighed, "So she made a deal. Found the guy, killed him. Still had nine and half years of her deal left so she decided to start hunting monsters."

"I didn't know," Bobby said, his voice shaking.

"No one did. I was with her for almost three years and she didn't tell me until she was about 48 hours out. When the hallucinations started…" River fidgeted with her coffee cup. "I was with her until the end. When they came for her, I wanted her to run, to keep running maybe give us time to find a way out. But she wouldn't budge told me she was ready…I salted and burned what was left after the Hellhounds… called a hunter up in Canada to start the round robin. Suki didn't want a wake, didn't want any other hunter to know what really happened. So I didn't tell anyone, let people make up their own damn stories." River looked over at Dean, his face conflicted.

Bobby sat back in his seat, "Damn girl. That's a hell of a thing." The waitress dropped off the check, Dean snatching it off the table and threw some money down to cover the balance and tip.

"River, ride with me. Sam can spend some quality time with Bobby," Dean took River's hand, pulling her gently towards him. "Damn those green eyes", River thought squeezing Dean's hand in an affirmative and following him to the Impala.

"Yeah, well see you back at my place." Bobby called to them as he and Sam drove off in the rust bucket.

"What do you want to listen too?" Dean said turning towards her. "Nothing, just want to enjoy the company," River replied, taking Bobby's hat off and running her fingers through her hair.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch 13.

"Hold up, you're telling me you think Jedi is better than the Empire Strikes back?" River said sitting cross legged and facing Dean in the front seat. The Impala was barreling through rural backroads, following Bobby's rust bucket back to the Singer Salvage yard.

"The Ewoks kicked Emperial ass," Dean said smiling at her.

River threw her head back and laughed. "Next you're gonna tell me Temple of Doom is better than Raiders," she said after catching her breath.

Dean gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders, "The mine cart scene, come on!"

River laughed again, "I don't even know you Dean Winchester!"

Dean smiled at her, "Well we've got about nine months or so to work that out."

River stopped laughing, "I'm sorry. About not telling you everything"

"Don't you dare apologize. I'm an asshole ," Dean said looking at her.

She stared out the window for a few minutes, rubbing her hands nervously together. "I haven't told anyone about what happened to me since the night I called your dad. I didn't even go to a hospital; I didn't want to answer any of their questions. I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror for a long time after…I kind of cut myself off from the few contacts I had." She wiped at an errant tear running down her cheek, "I've been lonely for a really long time and I like being around you and your brother. I feel safe around you, Dean. I didn't think I'd ever feel that way again," she finished. Dean looked across the seat at her, she smiled self consciously, "What?"

"You're beautiful," he told her, looking at her, red hair loose around her bruised face.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm a real catch Winchester." She wiped at another tear and sniffed.

"We both are," he said smiling, making the corners of his eyes crinkle.

She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth and watched him drive another quarter mile before sliding across the seat towards him. She kissed him lightly on his stubbled cheek and rested her head on his shoulder, "Can I still cash in that raincheck?"

"Hell yes," Dean said. He scanned the road for a secluded place to pull off as River ran lite kisses around his jawline and earlobe. Dean turned the Impala off the road a few minutes later, driving it a short distance on the bumpy dirt before parking it in a wooded area.

"Where the hell are they goin'?" Bobby muttered after seeing the Impala pull off the road in his rearview mirror.

"They'll catch up, Bobby, don't worry." Sam told him.

River climbed onto Dean's lap running her hands through his auburn hair as soon as he parked the car. He ran one of his rough thumbs along her cheek and down to her lip, she lightly bit his thumb causing him to yelp in surprise. River laughed briefly before Dean caught her lips hungrily with his own, she moaned into his mouth as their tongues met. His hands reached under her shirt and he trailed his fingers around her bruised ribs, sending shivers down her spine. River moved her hands down to grasp Dean's shoulder, pressing herself as close to him as possible. "How do you even get shoulders this hard?" she murmured pulling her lips away, running her fingers along the muscles of his upper arms and across his chest. Dean smiled, moving his lips to her neck, she moaned again grinding her hips down on his erection was testing the limits of his jeans. "Backseat, now." He told her opening the drivers side door and letting her climb out of his lap.

River stood up nervously straightening her disheveled clothes. Dean climbed out of the Impala, eyeing her hungrily. She smiled at him, cheeks flushed, her blue eyes slowly taking him in. He opened the door to the backseat and waited for her to climb in. "I'm not afraid of a nest of vampires, but I am terrified right now," she whispered to Dean, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering in the warm air.

"We can stop, get back on the road. Go to Bobby's," he said, wrapping his hands around her waist.

She smiled up at him. "You have a reputation, Winchester." She repeated.

Dean frowned, "You keep saying that. What kind of stories are being told about me?"

"Sex with Dean Winchester will probably be the best of your life," She started. Dean smiled proudly. "But...but it's also a guaranteed one night stand and you will never see him again."

Dean's proud smiled faded. "I only got a finite amount of time left. Maybe I don't want to spend it with a new girl every night. Maybe I want to spend with someone who has the same taste in shitty movies that I do. Someone who doesn't complain about my choice in music...I won't hurt you, River, ever." She took a deep breath and climbed into the back of the Impala, scooted to the far side of the seat and began taking her boots off. Dean climbed in after her and pulled her gently towards him so she was laying down on the seat looking up at him. He leaned down and began kissing her again. Her hands went back to his hair, she couldn't get enough of the soft feeling of it running through her fingers. Dean's hands traveled back under her shirt, pulling it up and over her head, breaking contact with River's mouth only long enough to remove the piece of fabric. His hands found the button on her jeans and was quickly helping her shimmy out of them.

He sat back, as far as his height would allow in the back seat and took her body in. She wore a lace black bra and CareBear underwear, her hands went unconsciously to cover some of her scars and bruises. There was a long jagged scar running from between her breasts and traveling down to her belly button. Dean gently moved her hand away from her lower hip, "Son of a bitch." Her hand revealed a cluster of circular scars, cigarette burns.

"The shifter smokes Marlboros …" she said, face flushing with shame as she tried to put her hand back over the marks. Dean grabbed her hand in his own, leaned back down to kiss her again. He reached around her and undid the clasp on her bra. River pulled the bra off, dropping it on the floor of Baby. She pulled up on Dean's shirt watching as he pulled it off. Her breath caught. "Holy shit Winchester," She said appreciatively dragging her fingernails down Dean's hard, tanned abdomen. She started unbuttoning the fly of his jeans, wanting to see all of him.

"Not yet, sweet heart," Dean told her. Leaning back down and pressing his lips so hard against Rivers she thought they'd be bruised when they were done. He trailed kisses along her jaw line, sucking and nipping her collar bone. His mouth moved to one nipple and then the other, teeth biting then tongue flicking the pain away, he groaned enjoying the sounds she was making and the way she writhed under him. He came to the jagged scar that ran down her middle and he lightly kissed his way down before moving to the marks on her hip. He trailed hislips over the raised sensitive skin. River moaned again, her hands squeezing his shoulders. He slowly moved his head closer to her underwear. "Grumpy bear?" he said, looking up at her.

She met his green eyes and laughed, "I don't own any sexy stuff."

"Oh, no, Care Bears are extremely sexy," he said pulling her underwear down and off, throwing them somewhere in the front seat. "God damn, you're beautiful," he told her, eyes slowly taking in her pale, bruised, scared body. He leaned back down towards her hot, wet center, trailing kisses on her inner thighs. Her hands clenched and unclenched, breathing coming in short, shallow pants as Dean drove her nearly insane, lips caressing everywhere but where she needed them. Until finally he moved to her core, running his tongue along her clit. "Fuck, Dean!" she yelped, hips bucking against Dean's face. His hands moved back to her shaking hips to hold her still as he continued sucking and licking at the tender skin. River moaned , thighs flexing around Dean's head as he slipped two fingers inside of her and began to pump them as he continued working her clit. "Oh fuck right there," she murmured, hands going back to run through Dean's hair. Dean growled into her as he felt her body shake, her muscles tightening around his fingers. When the orgasm finally ended she took deep shuddering breaths, trying to slow her racing heart rate.

"Was that good, sweetheart?" he said, slipping out of his jeans and boxers.

"I don't even know what planet I'm on right now" River murmured smiling letting her eyes travel down his body to his now free erection. Her breath caught in her chest as she reached her hand forward and ran her hand down his length, pumping her hands a few times.

"Oh fuck," he sighed tossing his head back in bliss hips thrusting forwards into her hand.

He bent down, holding most of his weight on his forearms, lining his cock up with her entrance. Shestarted trembling underneath him again, feeling him rubbing his length along her wet folds, she put her hands on his chest holding him still as she choked down her bodies fear. "You want me to stop?" he asked her again.

"No, no, please. I need you. Need all of you," she willed her body to stop shaking and pushed her hips up towards him. Dean kissed her again, softly this time, tongue gently entering her mouth as he slid into her warm center. She arched upwards calling his name again, wrapping her legs around him, allowing him to thrust deeper, faster. "God, you're so wet," he groaned pulling almost completely out of her before thrusting back in.

River raised her hips up to meet his thrusting body, she felt like her every nerve was electrified. "Dean, I'm so close," she moaned into his neck. He sat back, pulling her hips up and continued to fuck her at a new angle. Baby's shocks squeaked at the shift in weight. A moment later River came again, screaming Dean's name as her body writhed under him. He groaned her name and with a few more thrusts came inside of her. Dean maneuvered their bodies so they fit side by side in the back set, legs and arms tangled around each other. Both hunters sweaty and spent but unwilling to break their physical contact. River fell asleep almost instantly, head resting on Dean's chest.

"Do you hear that?" Dean asked a while later, a muffled buzzing sound was coming from under one of the seats. River groggily opened her eyes and reached behind her, pulling on Dean's discarded pants and finding his cellphone.

"Here," she said handing it to him and laying her head back down on his chest.

"Sammy, you ok?" Dean asked into the phone.

"I'm fine Dean, where the hell are you two? It's been hours," Sam's annoyed voice echoed back.

"Shit, sorry, we lost track of time. We'll be there soon, get some dinner, I'm starving," Dean said hanging up.

"Guess we should go." Dean said. River grumbled in protest as they untangled their various limbs and began searching the car for their discarded clothes.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch 14.

Dean chose Metallica as their post-coital road music, pulling Baby back onto the country road as River was still tying her boots. She gathered her now frizzy hair into a knot on top of her head and hummed along with the music.

"I'm starving, how much longer 'till we get to Bobby's ?" she finally asked, the sun starting to set.

" "bout an hour, hour an a half." Dean grumbled from beside her, he'd already searched the car for some snacks but only found empty wrappers. There were no gas stations or stores on this stretch of road to make a pitstop.

"Dean, tell me the specifics of your deal again." River asked, turning down the blaring music.

"I already told you," he said, she gave him a look that read 'yeah, tell me again'. "I gave my soul to save Sammy, I got a year, if I try to break the deal Sam dies. Not rocket science."

"Are you afraid?"

"Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid," he replied.

"Don't fucking quote Faulkner to me, Dean. What's your plan?"

"At the moment, have sex with you as often as possible," he said smirking at her. She rolled her eyes at him and turned the music back up, mind turning, she had been thinking about his deal, the specifications the demon gave him. If someone other than Dean tried to break the deal or find a way out, maybe they could get away with that. Whiskey in a Jar started and River began singing out of tune and unabashed along with James Hetfield.

Dean looked over at the singing hunter, the sound of her moaning his name still seeming to echo in the Impala, he muttered something under his breath and pulled the Impala over. "Whats wrong?" River asked as he stopped the engine, she looked outside, the road nearly pitch black and empty of any other cars. Dean climbed out of the car and walked to River's door. "Dean, I'll stop singing, I know it's terrible. I can't help it it's like a nervous tick. Musics on and I start singing," she said as he opened her car door. She climbed out and stood next to the car. Dean bent down and ravaged her lips with his own, pushing her gently into the side of the black Impala. "We're gonna be late," River said, when Dean broke off the kiss, and started unbuttoning her jeans.

"We're already late," he said turning her around to lean over the Impala, "Is it ok if I fuck you right here?", he asked pulling her pants down around her ankles and she heard him undo his zipper and move behind her.

"Yes, please," River moaned feeling him try and line up with her wet entrance from behind, she stood on the balls of her feet and used the car for leverage, "You're so god damn tall," she muttered feeling him slide into her.

"Oh, fuck," He groaned again from behind her, grasping her hips almost painfully as he thrust into her. She rocked her hips backwards to meet him with each thrust, ignoring the fact they were pulled over on the side of the road in plain sight of any potential passing cars. He reached a hand around her and rubbed her clit with his callused fingers. River moaned his name, arching her back and thrusting into him as she came. Dean's grip grew tighter on her hips as he came closer to orgasm, "Fuck, Princess." He growled spilling inside of her again. She relaxed down onto her shaky legs, resting her head on the warm hood of the Impala.

"What the fuck? What is happening?" she muttered taking shaky breaths. Dean helped pull her underwear and pants up. River put her hands on Dean's chest as he turned her back around to kiss her gently, "Ok, look this is amazing, You're amazing. I don't know what the hell is going on right now. You are so fucking far out of my league…I'm fifty-fifty this is some Djinn induced hallucination. I'm not complaining, by any means but I'm starving. I really need to eat before we do this again."

He laughed into her hair, "God, me too. Bobby better have food ready." They climbed back into the car and finished the drive to Bobby's, fully clothed and with no more stops.

"Sorry, we uh had a flat tire," Dean said when they finally arrived at Bobby's.

"Yeah, right." Sam laughed, taking in their crumpled clothes and disheveled hair.

River blushed scarlet as Dean gave his brother a shrug, "Worth a try." Sam tossed him a bottle of beer, which Dean opened deftly and passed to River.

"Food. Thank you Bobby," River said, taking a deep drink of the cold beer and watching as Sam and Dean piled their plates with hot steaks and baked potatoes. The brothers chatted idly while Bobby and River served themselves.

"Steaks not over done is it?" Bobby asked, noticing River avoided the plate of meat and instead grabbed two baked potatoes and corn on the cob.

"Oh no Bobby, I don't eat meat. But thank you," she answered sitting across from Dean.

Dean started incredulously at her, "Your kidding, are you sure you don't eat meat?" he said taking another bite of his steak.

"Yeah, I'm sure Winchester, nothing with a face," she said starting on her baked potato. Dean shrugged his shoulders and continued to dig into his huge plate of food.

Several beers later, Bobby had started to relay stories of the boys childhood. "I remember when John asked me to start teaching Dean how to drive, you were what boy, 10?" Bobby asked.

"Eleven , I think, dad had to wait until I was tall enough to reach the pedals," Dean answered, leaning back in his chair.

"I nearly had a damn heart attack trying to teach him how to drive a manual transmission. The car died in the busiest intersection in town, during rush hour when Dean forgot to shift," Sam and Dean laughed at the memory.

River smiled at the three men, "I never learned how to drive a stick," she said finishing her beer.

"Seriously?" Dean asked.

"I was raised by a mean ass old drug addict in LA, Dean. She only drove automatics," River said, starting to clear the table.

"I'll teach you tomorrow," Dean offered, piling dishes in the sink next to her.

"Yeah, we'll see. Bobby, Sam go relax. Me and Dean were late, we'll clean up." Bobby and Sam vacated the kitchen letting the other two start the dishes.

Bobby sat down in his favorite chair and started reading while Sam went to his laptop. Murmured conversation and frequent laughs from Dean and River drifted out of the kitchen while they cleaned. "I hope to god she can change his damn mind, give him a reason to fight to stay outta the pit," Bobby said to Sam. Sam looked towards the kitchen, Dean had his arms around Rivers waist and was whispering something in her ear making her giggle uncontrollably.

"Bobby, that was amazing," River said as she walked out of the kitchen, followed by Dean. She stopped and looked around the sitting room, taking in the stacks and stacks of books.

"Ain't got a maid," Bobby said indicating the disarray.

"Bobby these…these are amazing. Holy shit, where did you get all of these. They're on everything, Native American folk lore, Chinese, Russian, these grimoires are a hundred years old, wow…" River walked around the room, picking up random books and skimming through them.

"Just pick 'em up as I go along," he said, puffing his chest proudly. The Winchesters always saw the books as work, Bobby was happy to have someone around that appreciated them. Dean walked behind River, burying his face in the back of her neck, noticing for the first time the sigil tattooed at the top of her spine, usually hidden by her clothes or hair.

"What's this one mean?" he asked, running his finger lazily around the outline. The tattoo was of a pentagram surrounded by flames. River brushed his fingers away, nose still buried in a book on Irish legend. "It's an anti-possession sigil," she told him.

"A what?" Sam asked, coming to look.

River tilted her neck down to give them a better view, "You've seriously never seen it before?"

The brothers and Bobby shook their heads. "I have the page it came form in my journal, where's my box?" she asked.

Sam got up and went to grab her toolbox from the front porch, "What the hell is in this thing anyways?"

River laid her hands on the box and spoke "Oscail." The lock popped and River opened the box, "All my important things: my journal, Suki's journals, some guns, first aid supplies, tampons, etc." She said pulling item after item out of the box. "It was easier to lug this thing around in my truck. The books in here somewhere."

"Whats with the magic word?" Dean asked.

"I used a pretty simple binding spell so no one but me can open it. I can show you how to do it, Bobby probably has all the ingredients around here." She flipped through the journal until she found the paper inside it, she had obviously ripped it out of some old book. "Here, keep it, I ripped this off of some witch I ganked a while back . I suggest to get it inked somewhere, seeing you two seem to be demon magnets anyways."

"Thanks, we'll check it out," Sam said taking the paper from River. Dean picked up her journal and started flipping through the pages. Her notes were meticulous and Dean was impressed on the details of her hunts including what she killed, where, what weapon worked and useful info such as usable motels and hospitals or clinics she had worked at.

"Which way to the shower?" River asked turning to Bobby.

"Up the stairs, first door on the left. Sam put your stuff in Dean's room, second room on the right," Bobby said pointing up the stairs.

"Thanks," she said walking towards the stairs. She ran her hand along Dean's abdomen as she walked past him. Dean watched her out of the corner of his eye as she walked up the stairs.

"You two look like you're getting along," Sam said going through Rivers toolbox, checking out the state of her weapons out of habit. He set aside a few of her guns that needed a good cleaning and oiling.

"Yeah, she's um…I don't know Sammy, she just kind of hits the spot, you know what I mean?" Dean said setting River's journal down.

"Yeah, I do. Jess was like that. Just kind of fit together in all the right places."

The sound of the shower started upstairs and Dean turned towards the sound. "Guess I'll call it an evening," he said heading up the stairs.

"Damn shame you only got ,what? Nine months with a woman like that," Bobby called after him, Dean stopped for a moment, hand gripping the banister.

"Well, if you got any way out without getting Sam or you or anyone else killed I'd love to hear it," Dean called back before continuing up the stairs.

River climbed in the hot shower and moaned in delight, the hot water immediately relaxing her tense muscles. She just started washing her hair when she heard the tile squeak right outside of the shower. She threw the shower curtain open and sent a high kick into the body standing outside. "Son of a bitch!" Dean grunted, being thrown back into the wall, shirt half pulled over his head, boxers and jeans around his ankles.

"Dean, what the fuck? You don't sneak up on someone in the god damn shower!" River yelled.

Dean managed to untangle himself from his shirt, "Who the hell did you think it would be? A rugaru? You're in a damn house with three other hunters, all armed to the gills."

"Did I break you? Is anything broken? I mean besides your ego." she asked, pulling the curtain closed.

"Guy tries to be romantic and gets the shit kicked out of him," he muttered kicking off his pants.

"Interrupting a woman's shower is not romantic," River told him as he opened the shower curtain and climbed in next to her. She stepped back to let the hot water reach him and he moaned in bliss. Rivers eyes traced every inch of Deans body as the water ran down it, drop after sinful drop running in rivulets down his toned chest and abdomen, disappearing into the short, well maintained tufts of dark auburn pubic hair.

"Don't objectify me," Dean said, eyes still closed as he washed his hair. River threw her head back laughing and blushing at his outburst before Dean took her face in his hands and kissed her. Her hands traveled up Deans back as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. He moved his lips down her neck as his hand slowly ran up her inner thigh. She moaned and pushed her hips towards his hand.

"Don't use all my damn hot water!" Bobby banged on the door, causing River to yelp in surprise and nearly slip, only being caught be Deans quick reflexes.

"Jesus Christ Bobby! Ok!" Dean yelled back, turning around and turning off the water. He turned back to River smiling, "We'll have to try this again when theres not a crotchety old man around." River laughed again as her and Dean climbed out of the shower.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch 15

"Is the coast clear?" River asked as she tied the tiny towel around herself, apparently they were not made for people with wide hips she thought sarcastically.

"Yeah, don't be a chicken. Lets go," Dean sauntered out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his hips as he walked across the hall to his childhood room.

"Dude, come on this isn't a frat house!" Sam yelled walking up the stairs, River froze in the hallway eyes darting between Dean and Sam. She felt like the longer she stood there the more the towel began to shrink, "Fuck me," Sam turned and walked back down the stairs without another word.

She darted the rest of the way across the hall into Dean's room, "Thanks, Winchester." Dean laughed as she shut the door, dropping his towel on the floor and sitting on the tiny bed. River walked around the room, taking in the Dean-ness of it, Pam Anderson poster, classic rock tapes, and "Busty asian beauties, nice." River said, finding the magazine almost strategically placed next to her duffle bag.

"I'm completely comfortable with my sexuality," Dean said smirking at her, "take your towel off." River felt herself blush again letting the towel go. He reached and grabbed her hand, pulling her gently towards him.

"What happens tomorrow, Dean? And the day after," River asked later, tracing her finger around the D.W. etched into the headboard of the bed. Dean lay next to her half asleep.

"What do you want to happen?" he murmured.

"I want to keep falling asleep like this," she answered scooting closer to Dean, "Just maybe not always on this tiny bed."

"Wake up, Red," a voice called to River through the darkness. The darkness felt safe, wrapping her in a protective cocoon away from the voice. A hand grasped her shoulder and shook gently at first but quickly increased to the point where her head smacked back painfully against the wall. She tried to bring her arms down to defend herself but they were tied, no handcuffed above her head. River tugged on the handcuffs, twisting and turning her wrists trying to pull them out. "Open your god damn eyes!" the voice yelled into her face.

She struggled to obey the command, her left eye swollen nearly shut. Her right eye felt dry and gritty but she finally opened it. The face in front of her was a young man, tanned skin, elegant nose and deep brown eyes. She shrunk back from him, the memory of him on top of her, laughing as she tried to push him off, squeeze her knees together to force him out of her now sore center. He laughed again letting his natural eyes show, the yellow almost reptilian pupil of a shifter. River screamed, pushing herself back against the wall and bringing her knees up to protect herself, pulling again at the handcuffs. "Hey, stop that, stop that or I'll knock you the fuck out again."

She stopped pulling at the handcuffs, but sat huddled up on the bed, shaking and hating herself for being so afraid, "What do you want? Just fucking kill me."

"It doesn't have to be that way. I know I was a little rough last night but come on you can't say you didn't deserve it. You're gonna get more later but lets not dwell on that right now," the shifter brushed sweaty hair out of River's eyes, tucking it behind her ear. "I can be anyone you want, you know, if that would make this easier."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You raped me you sick fuck. There is no easier." River spat back.

"The way I see it, you owe me hunter. You killed two of my offspring. Children, just learning their full potential. Now you be nice and I'll be nice, sometimes," the shifter leaned forward, rubbing his face in River's hair, taking deep breaths, "You know I'll always be with you now, anywhere you go, anything you think or do, anyone you meet, I'll see it, I'll know. This would be so much easier on you if you just accepted it."

"No!" River yelled, sitting up in bed. Her hands went back searching under the pillow where she usually hid her silver knife. Except this wasn't her room, her knife was still somewhere in her bag.

"Baby lay back down everything's ok," Dean murmured rubbing her back in small circles. Deans calm, sleepy voice and the warmth of his hand on her back helped the shaking stop, the fear receding. The feeling of disgust and shame remained and she knew her time to sleep was over so she untangled her feet from Dean and the sheets.

"I have to get up, you sleep hot stuff," she whispered, kissing his cheek and climbing out of bed. She searched through her bag in the near dark of the room and quickly dressed in a pair of sweatpants and Dean's discarded undershirt.

She quietly crept out of his room and back downstairs to Bobby's kitchen where after a little searching found coffee and put a pot on to brew. While the coffee percolated she went back to Bobby's sitting room, scanning his collection of books. "Hey you're up early," Sam said, slightly out of breath, a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead; just getting back form his morning jog.

"I slept enough, probably got more sleep in the last two days then I have in the last 3 months," River said, smiling at Sam, "Coffee should be almost ready."

"What are you looking for?" Sam called to her, walking into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

"Nothing you guys probably haven't already looked for. Books on demonic deals, summoning, binding, anything useful like that," River said looking over at Sam.

He poured his coffee and turned back to her, "Me and Bobby have looked, been looking everywhere for some info. Trying to do it on the down low of course so Dean doesn't get pissed. He keeps telling us to just let it go, let him go when the time comes."

"Just let him go? He doesn't want to fight?"

"Dean's…we've been through a lot. It's like he sees this as his out, his chance to get away from this even if it means eternity in hell."

"That's ridiculous. Yeah life sucks, I get that, I do. But anything is better than the alternative," River said, taking the cup of coffee Sam had poured for her.

"It's my choice. I did what I had to do to save my brother. There's no going back, no breaking the deal. It's done. The sooner everyone excepts that the better the next few months will be," Dean said walking into the kitchen, giving Sam and River a sour look.

"Dean, come on. It doesn't have to be, can't you see that. You have the Colt. We can go back to the crossroads where you made the deal, bind the demon that has your contract and if it doesn't forfeit than we fucking kill it. Start killing as many crossroads demons we need to until one gives up your contract," River said giving Dean a pleading look.

"What's with this 'We'? You think this is a Disney movie? We just met, the sex has been good but do you really think we're gonna live happily ever after?"

"I'm not looking for happily ever after, Dean! I just want to help. Give me the Colt, I'll go. I'm nobody, I'm not even on the demon radar."

"You're right, you're nobody. I'm not going to risk my brothers life on a no-bodies plan," Dean said, voice raising. River slammed her coffee cup down on the table and rushed out of the kitchen, knocking into Dean's shoulder on the way out. Her angry footsteps echoed up the stairs.

"Dean this might work, we should try it. Try anything!" Sam yelled at his brother.

"What the hell are you idjits arguing about now!" Bobby asked walking into the kitchen.

"Nothing, just the usual. Dean's being a dick," Sam said, leaving the kitchen. Bobby looked between his boys, Sam sitting angrily at his laptop, Dean jaw clenched pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Bobby, I need a car," River reappeared, fully dressed, bags on her shoulder.

"What?"

"Anything automatic Bobby, please. I'll wire you money tomorrow. Or at least a ride to the bus station," River called, throwing her supplies back into her tool box.

"Balls… Yeah I gotta car that should work for ya'," Bobby walked out of the kitchen and out into his salvage yard.

River dragged the toolbox off the table and let it thump onto the ground. "Here. I'll get it," Sam said, picking the box up, "You don't have to leave. He'll cool down."

"I'm not staying," River said to Sam as he carried her heavy gearbox outside. Dean stood against the counter, gripping his coffee cup tight enough to crack it.

"River! River, god damn it, relax. Where are you going?" Dean called, walking up to the small Honda Bobby had pulled up for her.

She slammed the trunk and turned to face him, Sam and Bobby stood to the side letting them hash it out. "I'm not going to stay here with you, pretending every day isn't a day closer to you dying."

"Just stay. You're safer with us," Dean said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I've been alone for four years. I can protect myself, no more drinks from strangers. Boring, safe, and it's a hell of a lot better than this. Waiting for you to be dragged to the pit because your too god damn stupid to realize you deserve better. You don't deserve to be ripped to shreds by hell hounds. I'm not going to watch it. Not again, not to you…" she said, turning away from him and climbing into the car.

"Bobby, I'll send you money tomorrow for the car," she called to him.

"The hell you will, girl."

"Thanks for the hospitality. Sam call me if you need anything." River started the car, drove out of the Singer Salvage Yard and away from the Winchesters.


	16. Chapter 16

Ch 16

River sat scrunched down in the seat of the Honda, the urge to sleep pulling on her senses. She yawned, loudly, stretched and popped open another energy drink. She sat watching and waiting for the Djinn to return to its current nest, a sprawling abandoned paper mill on the edge of Ashton, Alabama. Her katana and silver dagger, dripped in lambs blood, lay on the seat next to her. She had been in town for three days, working at the local hospital during the day and tracking the Djinn at night. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to check the caller ID, it read "JERK".

"Dean," she muttered , choosing to decline the call and put it back in her pocket. She had kept Sam's phone, reloading it with prepaid minutes in the six weeks since she drove away from the Singer Salvage Yard and Dean. She changed the voicemail message but none of the contacts. River noticed movement near the main entrance of abandoned mill, a tall hooded figured was walking rapidly towards the door with an unmoving body thrown over its shoulder. She waited for the Djinn to enter the building before silently stepping out of her car.

"Son of a bitch," Dean growled slamming his phone down on the diner table. He'd called River a dozen times, sent twice as many text messages and got no replies. She had held radio silence with Sam as well and only answered a few calls from Bobby, whom Dean had harassed until he called, just to make sure she was safe. Each time she had refused to let them know where she was or what she doing. "Healthy turkey plate for you and Double bacon cheeseburger for you," the waitress spent extra care setting Dean's plate down. Giving him more than ample view of her well endowed chest. "Can I get you anything else?" she asked, leaning in again.

Dean turned towards her, his chin within inches of her cleavage,"Wow…uh…no…thank you." Dean looked up, over her well placed breasts, "We're good." The waitress smiled and slinked off towards her next table. Dean gave his brother an amused smile and dug into his burger.

"Dude, whats up with you? She's practically asking you to eat that burger off her chest and you ignore her," Sam said taking a drink of his beer.

"What? Nothing. I'm just not in the mood." Dean said darkly, pushing his fries around.

"Well, get this. I may have found us a case over in Ashton. Disappearances, bodies turning up weeks later, desiccated. Maybe a Djinn?"

"Hmm," Dean answered. Looking idly at his phone again. Sam rolled his eyes at his older brother and continued with the details of the potential case.

River crept silently to the unlocked door, pulling it open just wide enough for her to fit through. She glanced around the building, empty and dark with lots of potential hiding places. "Great," she muttered, katana gripped tightly. She checked the dust covered floor for the footprints of the Djinn and once she identified them she followed their direction. She walked silently, eyes constantly moving to identify shadows or sounds. The stench of decay became stronger the longer she walked down the the twisting corridor until she came to an old office, possibly once used by the mills foreman. The miasma of death was nearly unbearable but she opened the door anyways, her eyes immediately began to sting and bile rose in her throat. Several bodies in various states of decay were thoughtlessly tossed in a pile near the center of the room. The Djinns previous meals.

She closed the door, wiping her fingerprints off the doorknob and continued down the dusty walkway. The hallway curved to the back of the giant building and once again opened into a large cavernous room, old processing vats and machines lay rusted and forgotten. Near the middle of the room were several people, some strung up by their wrists, others tied to machines, all covered in trailing vine like blue marks. The marks the Djinns poison leaves afters its fed. Several of the people were obviously a day or two from death, features sunken, breaths shallow, pulse barely palpable when River checked them.

A grunt came from behind a large vat and River silently ran towards the sound. Katana raised and ready to strike but all she found was the Djinns latest victim, unconscious. "Hello, hunter," the Djinn appeared behind River using its superior speed and strength to catch her off guard. She attempted to spin out of the way of the creatures reach but it latched onto her covered arm. The Djinn growled in frustration as River sent a quick kick to its stomach and pushed herself away. She turned to run but tripped on a broken chair and landed on her back, her katana still gripped in her outstretched hand. Before she could recover the Djinn was on top of her, its tattooed face and unnaturally blue eyes staring down at her. "You look good enough to eat," it purred, grabbing Rivers arm, ripping the long sleeve away and laying its hand on her bare skin. River struggled for a moment but the Djinns poison was already working and she saw blackness at the edge of her vision.

She heard muffled crying, an infant most likely from the pitch. The sounds were coming as if from under water, low but the intensity increasing as her consciousness rose. She sat up groggily and was adrift in a sea of fluffy blankets and mounds of pillows. The crying coming from a baby monitor on the night stand to her left. "What the fuck?" she muttered, climbing unsteadily out of the bed. She followed the sound of the crying to its source a few doors down the warm hallway. River stood in the doorway heart pounding, a tall, lean half dressed man stood besides a changing table, a baby cooing and babbling under him. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" River demanded, charging into the room.

The man startled and scooped up the smiling baby and turned to face her. "Hey look, mommy's up," Dean said smiling, cuddling the infant against his bare chest, "You scared the crap outta me and DJ. I told you to sleep in. I got my main man, we're gonna go watch some cartoons and eat Cheerios, right?" he said, looking down at the baby in his arms.

"Dean?…Dean, what the hell is this?" River said, taking a step back. Her eyes focusing on the room for the first time, she was in a nursery. Pictures of super heroes on the walls, baby blankets, diapers, a pile of clothes to be put away and Dean standing in front of her holding a chubby baby about nine months old.

"River, you ok babe? I hate when you work night shift. Go back to bed for a while, I'll call Jimmy, and he can open the shop today." Dean said walking up to River, one hand coming to caress her cheek. The babies cooing got louder and he reached with chubby hands towards River. "Seriously DJ, mommy walks in the room and I'm chopped liver," Dean adjusted the baby and attempted to hand him to River.

"What? No no no. I don't hold babies." River said holding her hands up to ward off the drooling, babbling baby.

Dean laughed, "Come on, you're already up. I made coffee." She took the baby reluctantly and instinctively swung him on to her hip. River looked down at the baby, DJ, pale like her, red hair like her and bright, mischievous green eyes. Dean leaned forward, pulling her gaze away from the baby on her hip and kissed her, then bent down and gave the boy a goofy, sloppy kiss. "Agoo," was DJ's response.

"Yeah, I know kid." Dean said, walking out of the nursery.

River stood there dumbfounded, heart racing, legs trembling. "What the fuck is this?" She willed herself to wake up but nothing changed.

"You want some oatmeal for breakfast?" Dean called from another part of the house.

Finally River turned to leave the nursery, only to stop and stare at the picture collage on the wall. Ultrasound pictures, a photo of her enormously pregnant and smiling and a birth notice, "Dean Johnathan Winchester. 7 lbs, 11 ozs. 24 inches. December 20th." She looked back down at the baby boy who was now happily sucking on his fist and drooling. River walked on unsteady legs down the hall towards Dean's voice, stopping again at more photos. She reached a trembling hand to the pictures, her and Dean smiling outside a drive thru chapel in Las Vegas, her, Dean, Sam, another tall man she didn't recognize on a beach somewhere. River almost banged her nose into the glass picture frame looking at her self in the photo, smiling, in a bikini and scar free. She adjusted the baby on her hip and pulled her shirt up, no jagged scar on her chest, no cigarette burns on her hip. Her hands traced a curved, well healed pink scar just below her underwear line. "C-section?" she said to herself.

"Sexiest scar I've ever seen." Dean said, walking back towards her. His hand tracing the scar, "You feel ok?" he asked her again.

"What is this? Who is that?" River asked pointing to the man standing with them on the beach.

"River, thats Jimmy. Your brother. Did you stop taking your pills?" Dean asked, DJ cooing again and now reaching for him.

"Pills?" River asked absently.

Dean took the baby from River, "Come eat and get some coffee. It'll make you feel better." She took her time in the hallway, feeling the soft carpet under her feet, memorizing the details in the family photos. She heard Dean's quiet voice come from the kitchen, "Hey Jimmy, can you man the shop today? Yeah we're ok, River started back at work, night shift, I think it messing with her meds. I just want to stay home and keep an eye on everything."

"Who was that?" she asked, walking into the huge, bright kitchen. Dean was putting DJ in a baby walker on the floor and the kid took off on his tippy toes laughing.

"Just Jimmy. I'm going to stay home with you two today," he said smiling but his eyes shifted nervously, "River, are you taking your meds?" He picked up a pill box from beside the coffeepot and checked its contents.

"Dean, I don't know what the hell is going on. I feel like I've been asleep, trapped in this wicked dream. And now I'm here and I don't know how I got here."

"I'm calling Dr. Singer before this gets out of hand again," Dean picked up his cellphone. River walked to him, placing her hand on his so that he put the phone down.

"Please tell me whats going on?" she asked. River looked into his green eyes, the same green eyes as the baby boy now happily playing bumper cars with his walker. Her son, her husband, her home and yet something tugged her away from the man in front of her. Another memory of him, leaning over her, eyes clouded with lust, their bodies bound together in the back of some muscle car. "A '67 Impala," she thought.

"Are you having the dreams again?" Dean asked her, hands running up her pale arms. His touch sending shivers down her spine. She wrapped hers arms around his waist pulling him close, she stood on her toes to kiss his neck, he smelled like soap, fresh cut grass and coffee. River froze as another memory seemed to crowd around her, the scent of leather, sweat and gun oil. "You are. How long have you been having them?" Dean asked, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

"What dreams?" River asked, turning to look at the baby was squealing happily at the brightly colored cartoon character on the huge TV.

"The fighting, the monsters…the hunting" Dean whispered as if he was afraid DJ would hear and understand. "Dr. Singer said their a part of the postpartum depression, thats why you can't stop the meds."

River slid past Dean, legs trembling again, visions of another life filtering through her mind like someone quickly flipping through TV channels. Fleeting images of a torn and bloody tent, all manner of nightmarish monsters with sharp teeth, Sam Winchester smiling at her, Bobby in his hat and Dean laughing, behind the wheel of the Impala. River opened her eyes and looked out the kitchen window, seeing the car parked in the driveway. Some newer model, generic looking SUV. A final memory floated to the top of her consciousness, the bald man with shifting blue tattoos. "A Djinn," she whispered.

"A what" Dean asked, "A friggin' Djinn? River, I'm not going through this again. You promised you'd stay on your meds."

"This is so cruel. I thought these were supposed to be happy, keep people in happy lala land until they died. This is…this isn't real!" River whispered to herself.

Dean took a tentative step towards her, "It's ok, we can deal with this. I'll call the doctor."

River wiped away the tears blurring her vision, taking a final look at the laughing baby now scooting its way across the tiled floor towards her and the man she apparently married in a drive through. She grabbed a knife from the knife block.

"River, don't!" Dean yelled as she plunged the knife into her heart.

The pain was intense, her eyes flew open and she screamed in rage at the Djinn still leaning over her, feeding off her life force. She got her knees under the Djinns chest and pushed it up as she swung the katana she still gripped. The katana took the top part of Djinns head clean off and its body instantly went slack, River grunted shoving the body off of her. She pulled the silver dagger out of her boot and for good measure plunged it into the the things heart, "Laid it on a bit thick don't you think? I'm a fucking hunter, remember. No happy endings." She spat at the Djinns corpse. She checked the time on her cellphone it was a little after 3 am. She'd have enough time to burn the Djinn, call emergency personnel to attend to the living victims, and get a shower and hopefully more coffee before her shift at the hospital.

River left the paper mill and climbed back into her car, she was able to make a quick, frantic sounding phone call to 911 with a spare burner phone before losing her composure. The memories the Djinn had given her still fresh, the way the baby boy smelled, the family pictures with everyone smiling. She cried silently, tears falling from her eyes as she rested her head on the steering wheel. The distant sounds of sirens pulled her out of her misery, she started her car and drove back to her motel in silence.


	17. Chapter 17

Ch 17.

"So according to the police chatter this morning, a drug den was found at the abandoned mill outside of town. Six DB's and four vics still alive, all transported to the Ashton Medical center this morning," Sam told his brother as they drove to the hospital.

"A drug den? Really? So you think someone happened upon the Djinns hideout? Great, now we're gonna have to find its new nest." Dean grumbled as he parked Baby. The brothers got out of the car and put on their fake FBI badges. They walked towards the main medical building, "No fucking way," Dean said, grabbing his brother and quickly moving them behind a large tree in the front courtyard.

"What Dean? What?" Sam asked, hand going towards the gun on his hip. Dean made a "shushing" noise. He peaked around the tree nervously and then pointed someone out to Sam.

"River?" Sam said surprised, Dean shushed him again. They watched as the red headed hunter took a seat in the shade, she held an energy drink in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"Call her." Dean urged his brother.

"You call her."

"She won't answer me. Come on," Dean shoved his younger brother softly.

Sam rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. They watched, hidden behind the tree as across the courtyard River pulled out her phone and stared at the screen. "She's not gonna answer," Dean whispered.

"Hey, Sam," River answered, "Everything ok?"

"Hey, River!" Sam said cheerily into the cellphone, he put it on speaker and Dean crowded around it, "Yeah, same old you know. How are you?"

"I'm good; looking for Big Foot in Oregon," she answered. They watched as she took a long drink from her coffee and chased it with the energy drink.

"Big foot, huh?" Sam said.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna get out of hunting and move my concentration to cryptozoology."

Sam laughed, "Sounds good. Me and Dean are um, working on a Wendigo in Vermont. How've you been? Anything new?"

Dean watched as River smiled, "Um, yeah actually. I met a trickster last week."

"Oh yeah. Did you happen to go to a mystery spot?" Sam said, Dean turned back towards the phone.

"Like the one in Santa Cruz? The tourist trap? Come on, Sam, those are lame. No, I met him at a coffee shop. Good looking blonde guy, shorter than you two genetic freaks, great sense of humor. Perfect gentlemen. Took me to Milan for what felt like a week but when we got back my coffee was still hot. He knew you two, small world I guess."

"Did you kill him?" Sam asked, Dean got a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Kill him? No fucking way. I gave him my number, told him I want to go to Iceland next time," she sighed and took another long swallow of her energy drink.

"Milan for a week? Must be why you sound so tired." Sam said, he and Dean watching as River leaned forward and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"I'm fucking exhausted. You ever have a dream so fucked up it just stays with you?"

"Yeah. You wanna talk about it?" Sam asked.

River smiled and leaned back again, "No, Dr. Phil. I don't want to talk about it. I want to bury it under layers of denial and keep it submerged with nearly toxic levels of alcohol."

"Good girl, glad you learned our preferred coping methods in such a short amount of time."

River laughed again, "I gotta go, I'm gonna be late for my tryout with this ghost hunting crew. I miss you guys."

"We miss you too… Wait, I thought you were hunting Big Foot in Oregon," Sam said, watching as River stood up and stretched throwing her empty drinks into the trashcan.

"Oh yeah, right. Bye Sam," River hung up the phone and headed back into the hospital.

Sam and Dean waited a few minutes before entering the hospital. They flashed their badge at the main desk and were quickly given directions to the ICU. The four survivors had dwindled to two since the morning shift started. "I'm Special Agent Shaw, this is my partner Special Agent DeYoung, FBI. We're here investigating leads with this supposed drug ring found at the mill outside of town." Dean and Sam flashed their badges to the nurses sitting at the station, "We need to see the victims, maybe ask their nurses a few questions."

"Well, I have one of them. She's unconscious, no ID, no family. Typical druggie, track marks everywhere," a blonde nurse, her name tag read "Lydia", spoke up, "What's her name, Lake, Pond…River. She has the other one."

"Where's Nurse River, we have a few questions for her as well." Dean asked a little too eagerly, Sam elbowed him in the ribs, "I mean thank you for the info but we'd like to cover all our bases."

"She's in the pantry. Probably getting more coffee; I've never seen someone drink so much," Lydia pointed to a door across from the nurses station.

"Why the hell is it locked? What are they hiding in there?" Dean jiggled the key code locked door. He raised his hand to knock when the door was suddenly pulled open.

"Son of a bitch," a red head bumped into Dean's chest, the cups of coffee she was juggling splashed back on her scrubs. She looked up meeting the hazel eyes of Sam and the green eyes of Dean, "Fucking Winchesters."

"What's a Winchester?" Lydia had walked over from the nurses station and laughed seeing River now covered in coffee.

"What are you two supposed to be? Mormons?" River asked looking up at the brothers, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Nurse River, was it? Agents Shaw and DeYoung, FBI. We need to ask you a few questions about your patient in bed 4."

"Yeah, ok Special Agents. Right this way," River led the brothers into her patients room. The man laying in the bed was little more than an emaciated skeleton connected to a breathing machine and numerous other medical devices. She closed the sliding door and curtain to the room offering the three hunters privacy. "So, what are you two doing in town?" she asked, checking the medications that were infusing into her patient.

"We think theres a Djinn in town," Sam answered, looking at the fading blue streaks running up the mans arms and into his chest and neck.

"Hmmm." River answered.

"Do you always dress like this for work?" Dean asked, looking her over. River had her hair in twin braids that were swung forward over her shoulders, glasses and a Batman scrub top with a long sleeve shirt underneath.

"I save my fishnets and stilettos for night shift." River replied, coming to glance inquisitively at the marks Sam was still inspecting. "So, a Djinn. Really? Like the kind that grant wishes?"

"You look like hell. When was the last time you slept?" Dean interrupted, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

"Thanks, hot stuff. I got a few hours of sleep on Sunday."

"Today is Thursday. Have you eaten?"

"I had a banana yesterday and," River dug around in her pockets until she found a pack of graham crackers and tore it open, "You want one?" she asked Dean holding it out to him. Dean reached his hand out as if to grab the offered cracker and instead grabbed her wrist and pulled up the long sleeve shirt revealing the fading mark of the Djinns hand.

"You went after the Djinn alone?" Dean demanded.

"Says the guy that always waits for back up," River gave Dean a crooked smile, "I killed the Djinn about fifteen hours ago," she said glancing at the clock above the patients bed. "At least I think I did. Are you guys really here? I've been having an existential crisis all day. Maybe I'm still stuck in the Matrix."

Sam and Dean exchanged worried looks. "I hate it when you guys do that." River muttered as she leaned against the wall rubbing her temples. She was at about her limit of sleep deprivation, the last few hours of the shift were going to hell.

"What'd it show you?" Sam asked.

River closed her eyes seeing the smiling baby on her hip. "Nothing real," she opened her eyes and Dean was standing in front of her, "No happy endings, right?" Deans jaw clenched and then his hands grasped the sides of Rivers face, fingers caressing her checks before pulling her into a kiss. He moved his hands moved down to her ass, lifting her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. River moaned lowly, running her fingers through Dean's hair enjoying the taste and smell of her Dean.

Sam cleared his throat loudly, bringing the pair back to reality, "Um, guys." River took in a shaky breath, pressing her forehead into Dean's before he set her back on the floor.

River blushed, straightened her scrubs and hair, "So, where you guys staying?"

"We don't have a room yet. Guess there's no reason to stay if theres no job." Sam smiled, looking between River and Dean. Dean's eyes were still glazed, hair disheveled from River's hands.

"Here," River threw her room key to Sam, "I paid for the room through tomorrow, you guys can crash with me. I'm off at six. How about we go get dinner?"

"I don't think you should drive. I'll pick you up," Dean told her. She smiled at him again pulling her keyring out of her pocket and placing it in his hand. "Don't snoop through my stuff and don't be late. I'm starving."


	18. Chapter 18

Ch 18

The motel room River had been staying in was decorated with tacky cowboy decor complete with lamps in the shape of cowboy boots, lasso's and spurs attached to the walls and sheriffs badge wallpaper. The queen sized bed was neatly made, a couch was in the living area which Sam no doubt would be spending the night on, and a command center River had set up at the dining table. River's laptop, a few spare phones and stacks of books and notes were spread out on the table. Sam perused them while Dean changed; she had apparently been tracking down any and all available information on demon deals. Sam went through her notes, they were meticulous but it didn't seem like she had got any closer to an answer. Dean came out of the bathroom back in his normal outfit of jeans and flannel, "Sammy, what the hell are these?" He was carrying a small plastic package of pills.

"I thought she told you not to snoop," Sam glanced at them and smiled at his older brother, "Uhm, Dean those are birth control pills."

"Oh, thank god. We uh, never got around to uh..you know," Dean stammered putting the pills back in the bathroom.

"Nice, Dean. Didn't dad give you the talk about responsibility?" Sam asked, "Are we gonna pick up River or what? It's almost six."

"How about Me and River get dinner to go?" Dean said, shrugging into his leather jacket.

"Fine. Bring back some beer, she doesn't have anything to drink."

Dean pulled up in the Impala just as River was walking out of the hospitals main entrance. She smiled when she saw the sleek black car pull up to the curb. "No Sammy?" she asked climbing into the front seat with Dean.

"He wanted to stay back at the room and check emails." Dean smiled at her. River immediately pulled off her Batman scrub top as well as the long sleeve shirt, revealing yet another black tank top underneath. "How many layers are you wearing?" Dean said laughing as she kicked her tennis shoes off also.

"Shut up, it's cold in the ICU," River turned the radio up as Dean pulled away from the hospital, "Is Dean Winchester listening to The Smiths? I love Morrissey's voice." They drove in silence for a few minutes, River staring at Dean the entire time. "I missed you, Dean. I'm sorry I didn't answer my phone. I'm an asshole."

"I'm the asshole. Don't apologize to me," Dean glanced over at her smiling. River smiled back, biting her lower lip.

"I missed you," she repeated, sliding closer to Dean, "Read any good books lately?" She kissed his stubbled cheek and down his neck, hands moving to the fly of his jeans. Dean gripped the steering wheel as River slid her hand into his pants freeing his rapidly hardening member.

"Holy shit, princess," Dean muttered.

"You gonna find someplace to pull over?" River asked adjusting herself in the seat and lowering her head to his lap. She used her thumb to smear the bead of precum on the head of Dean's cock before trailing her tongue around it.

"Holy shit," he repeated, hips bucking involuntarily as River wrapped her lips around his thick member and slowly lowered her head to swallow as much of him as possible.

The last six weeks had been the longest stretch of self induced abstinence Dean had had since losing his virginity at sixteen in the back of the very car he was now driving. He'd had more than ample opportunity to fuck a few waitresses since River left but hadn't pursued them. He cursed under his breath, glancing down at the sight of Rivers bobbing head in his lap. Once she adjusted to his size she started moving her head faster, hallowing her cheeks and using her tongue on the underside of his shaft. Dean almost ran a red light, his ability to multitask having gone out the window the moment Rivers mouth touched his cock. "Son of bitch! Come on!" he yelled at the car in front of him when it took two seconds too long to move through the intersection. River laughed around his cock at his frustration and the vibrations nearly sent Dean through the roof."Finally," Dean muttered finding an abandoned looking office building with a small parking garage adjacent. She pulled her mouth off him with a loud "pop" and ran her tongue up his length and around his head. He swung the Impala into a parking spot and pulled River out of his lap. "You're crazy." he told her, pulling his pants down.

She blushed and said slightly embarrassed, "I've never done that before."

"You could've fucking fooled me," Dean told her as she pulled her own pants off , climbed across Dean's lap and straddled him using the muscles in her thighs to slowly lower herself onto his still slick cock. "Oh god," she moaned rocking her hips in small circles, feeling him hit every angle inside of her. She was surprised how much giving Dean head had turned her on.

Deans hands trailed up her sides, pulling her tank top off over head and pulled her bra down to expose her breasts. River used the seat behind Dean as leverage, pushing up on her knees almost pulling Dean completely out of her before thrusting her self back down on him repeatedly. Dean growled low in his chest, running his tongue around her hard nipples. "Fuck babe," he murmured into her chest, feeling her wetness drip down onto his balls and thighs. River adjusted her angle again leaning back almost into the steering wheel, creating more friction between her clit and Dean as he thrust his hips upwards into her. Rivers breaths became more erratic, moaning obscenities as Dean continued his upward thrusts. "Oh fu-Dean," Rivers nails dug into Deans shoulders as her orgasm tore through her and her pussy clenched around him. Deans orgasm followed a few thrusts later as he buried his face in her chest and yelled her name.

Once she could breath and form coherent thoughts River gently pressed her forehead into Deans. They sat like that for several minutes, Dean relaxing and growing soft inside of her. "Thank you," River said, gently kissing Deans cheeks and lips.

"For what?"

"For being you, for making me comfortable in my skin, being fun to be around. For this, not the sex or just the sex, because I mean this is the best I've ever had. Not that I have a lot of experience with good sex or sex in general…fuck. Never mind," she got flustered, cheeks burning and climbed off Dean's lap. She readjusted her bra and dug around on the floor boards for her discarded clothes and something to clean herself off with. Dean pulled his pants up looking at her, she smiled shyly at him as she got dressed. He leaned over and took her chin in his hand, guiding her lips to his.

"You could've fooled me about the lack of experience. You seem pretty technically sound," Dean said smirking and starting the car.

River laughed cheeks flushing, "Right, Winchester. Your like a man on a fucking mission, no pun intended. I can count on one hand the number of guys, monster not included, I've slept with and neither of them gave a shit if I enjoyed myself. "

"Wait? Neither? As in two? Two guys in your whole life?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Well, three now," she said, cheeks and chest burning from embarrassment. "You know its not as easy to be easy as you seem to think it is…Lets order dinner so it's ready when we get there," she said changing the subject. They decided on Italian, River called the restaurant to order their food and Dean drove them back across town.

They arrived at Giuseppes Italian dining twenty minutes later, River went inside to pick up their food and Dean ran across the street to the liquor store for a beer run. He could see the door of the restaurant open across the street and watched as River walked out with the bags of food they had ordered. He was still four people deep and growing impatient at the line, two six packs of beer grasped under each arm. "This place is never this busy on a Thursday," the man standing next to Dean said. Dean glanced down at the man, short, thinning hair, holding a cheap bottle of wine. Dean gave him a grunt and turned back to the line. "Is that your car across the street? That things cherry," the short man said again.

"Yeah I guess," Dean replied, moving forward finally.

"That red head yours too?"

Dean turned to face the man, "Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think so. I didn't mean anything by it. Just making conversation," the man took a half step back from Dean, smiling nervously.

"Yeah, well save it." Dean said gruffly placing the beer on the counter to pay. He glanced back at the man, committing his face to memory and left the liquor store.

River was eating a breadstick and singing along with a Green Day song that was playing on the radio. "Damn, took long enough," she said as he climbed in. Dean sat and watched as the short man left the liquor store.

"You ever seen that guy before?" he asked nodding his chin to the man across the street.

River turned and looked at the man, "I don't think so. Why?"

"Nothing I guess. Lets go eat." Dean gunned the Impalas engine and headed back to the motel room.

The three hunters ate their Italian feast and discussed what had happened in the last six weeks. "A ghost ship? I think I saw a movie about that once," River said laughing. "I can't believe you saved Bela, she's such a sneaky bitch. She stole a grimoire from me. Set me up to gank the witch it belonged to, got my ass kicked as usual and then that bitch took it right out of my hand as I was bleeding out on the fucking floor. I'm gonna kill her if I run into her again." The trio finished their beer and food, laughing at Sam's experience with the randy widow Gert.

"Yeah, thanks guys. I'm scarred for life," Sam said getting up from the table causing River and Dean to laugh again. "I guess Dean didn't tell you what else happened?"

"Oh god, you didn't have sex with Bella did you?" River asked looking at Dean in mock horror.

Dean smiled rolling his empty beer bottled between his hand, "Sam killed the cross roads demon I made the deal with."

"This isn't a good thing?" River asked sitting forward in her seat.

"She didn't have my contract anymore and it could've got Sam killed," Dean said getting up from the table, features dark.

"Shit," River muttered, that had been her plan and Sam had attempted it.

"Have you seen my phone?" Dean asked, patting his pockets.

"Maybe you left it in the car?" River called over her shoulder as she walked to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

The three hunters settled down for bed around midnight. Sam curled up on the couch, Dean and River in the bed. Dean lay behind River, spooning her close to his chest, face buried in the back of her neck. River ran her hands over the arm he had wrapped around her middle. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, not wanting to wake Sam who had passed out the minute he kicked his boots off and lay down.

"Why?" Dean asked, his warm breath tickling River's neck.

"The crossroads Demon, that was my idea. Sam shouldn't have gone after it."

"He's a big boy, he can make his own dumb ass mistakes." Dean murmured, "Get some sleep." It took her a while longer but she finally fell asleep with Dean still wrapped around her.

The Star Wars imperial march pulled River out of her dream and she groggily reached toward the nightstand and her phone. Her blurry eyes couldn't make out the caller ID but she answered anyways, " 'ello?" she grumbled, squeezing her burning eyes shut.

"Riv…River?" a tiny, scared voice called out from the other line. River sat bolt upright in bed, exhaustion replaced by fear squeezing at her heart.

"Lucas, buddy is that you?" River cried into the phone.

"Yeah, I have to be quiet," he whispered, "You said to call you if I ever got scared again."

"Yeah, buddy I did. You calling me from your mommy's phone?" River asked, looking at the caller ID now that her vision was cleared. Dean turned over in bed next to her and Sam sat up on the couch watching her. "What's wrong buddy? Where's your mommy and daddy?"

"Mommy's been in her room for a few days, Daddy says she sick. Daddy's acting funny, he won't let me out of my room except to go potty and there's a yucky smell coming from mommy's room," the small voice said. "Daddy broke the other phones. River I'm scared, my monster spray didn't work on daddy."

River made a strangled noise causing Dean to wake up, "Ok, baby can you get out of the house? Run to your neighbors?"

"No, daddy will see me. He's get mad if I leave my room…Hi Daddy," Lucas's voice cut out, River could hear muffled sounds on the other line.

"Lucas! Luke can you hear me?"

"Hey River, how's it going?" Greg's voice echoed over the phone.

"What'd you do?" River yelled into the phone. Sam and Dean crowded around her, trying to listen to the voice on the other line.

"I warned you, Red. You'er mine. If I have to take everything from you before you get that I will. See ya soon." The line went dead and River screamed in frustration, throwing the phone against the wall where it shattered.

"I have to go. Lucas might still be alive…" she rushed past the brothers, grabbing her duffle bag and throwing her belongings in it.

"We're all going. I drive faster than you anyways." Dean said getting out of bed and getting dressed. Sam helped River put her books and notes back in her toolbox and loaded it into the Impala while she got dressed. She skimmed the room once more and pulled a few more things out of the Honda throwing everything into the Winchesters car. They were packed and on the highway less then thirty minutes after the call from Lucas ended.

"They live in Norcross," River gave Dean the address and directions. It would be a least four hours until the got to Greg's house in Georgia. Dean pushed the Impala to it's limits, Sam sat in the front seat double checking their guns were loaded with silver bullets and River sat fidgeting in the backseat one hand on the hilt of her silver knife.


	19. Chapter 19

Ch 19

Dean had driven like a bat out of hell and somehow not been pulled over. They made the drive in a little under three hours, the sun just starting to rise as they got close to their destination. "They live on a cul-de-sac, their house is in the back. We could get blocked in if we park too close. Take the next left, the road curves up and around. There's a field we can cut through and it'll take us to the back of their house. Five minute jog and easy out if shit hits the fan," River leaned forward in her seat directing Dean. He parked they Impala where River recommended and the hunters exited the car.

"Stay here, we'll go," Dean put his hands on her shoulder.

"No fucking way. No. I did this to them, I put them in danger," she shook her head, holding her hand out to Sam. Sam and Dean exchanged a look. "I hate when you do that. Give me a gun."

River led the brothers through the field and to the back of her friends house. It was a newer two story craftsman at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. She led them up the stairs to the back porch where Sam knelt at the door and quickly picked the lock. The stench of death hit the hunters like a wall. River gagged and threw her hand over her nose, moving into the house first, pistol out and eyes scanning. Dean and Sam followed her in, fanning out and around. River saw the dark spray of arterial blood high on the wall before finding Greg's body sprawled on the floor in the living area. His throat a ragged hole where it had been savagely cut. His face purple and yellow, body swollen and growing soft in places. He'd obviously been dead for a few weeks. River took a shaky breath, eyes widening at the sight of her friend. "Luke! Lucas! It's River, where are you buddy?" River yelled running up the stairs.

Sam ran out of the empty kitchen and made a disgusted face at the site of the bloated body in front of the couch. Dean came around the corner from the dining area and met his brothers eyes, "River!" he called running up the stairs after her. The brothers moved silently down the hallway, the sickly sweet scent of putrescence stronger on the second floor. Dean opened the first door on the left and entered a master bedroom, a woman's decaying body was on the bed, her nightgown torn down the middle, throat and chest a gapping mess. He cursed under his breath and turned out of the room. "River!" he called again.

Dean and Sam went further down the main hallway to an empty door. They walked into a child's room, Transformer toys and action figures strewn on the floor. A race car bed was positioned under a window and the small body of a child lay unmoving on top of it. They didn't need to get closer to know he had been killed the same way as his parents; like his parents he had been dead for some time, the blood that splattered the wall dark brown, his once smiling face now yellow and green with decay. The brothers froze at the horrific scene, only moving when they heard the choked sobs behind them. River had collapsed on her knees sobbing uncontrollably, gun forgotten on the floor beside her "I did this, I did this to them. He wanted me to find them like this…"

"River we need to go," Dean said urgently, he knew too late they had been led into a trap.

"I'm not leaving them like this Dean! We have to call someone. Oh god, I did this to them!" Dean dragged her onto her feet, picking her gun up and tucking it into his waistband.

"Sam, get her the hell out of here." Dean called to his brother, glancing out the window. A police cruiser was driving up the street. River wouldn't move and finally Sam picked her up and threw her over his shoulder to get her out the room. He set her down at the top of the stairs, where she stood eyes glazed and tears still streaming down her face.

A knock rang out at the door, "This is the sheriffs department. We've got a call for a welfare check."

"River, we gotta go now. Move!" Sam whispered hurriedly into her ear, pushing her gently down the stairs. She shook her head quickly, wiped her face and hurried down the stairs as quietly as she could. Leading the brothers through the house, not glancing at the body in the living room and back out the way they came. Sam closing the door behind them and following his brother and the red head back through the field they came through.

The ran quickly and silently back the way they had come. The Impala sat waiting for them, the turn off still empty. They could hear more sirens racing down the main road. River stood still, taking hitching breaths and staggered away from the car only to collapse on her knees and start violently retching into the dirt. Dean squatted beside her, holding her hair out of her face while the shock passed. She leaned back on her haunches and dragged a sweaty hand across her mouth. "We need to go," she finally said, eyes red but the tears had stopped. Dean helped her stand and the three climbed back into the Impala.

Sam and Dean decided it would be best if they got another motel room and laid low for the day while they formulated a plan. River stared out the window, unmoving, occasionally wiping away an errant tear. Dean decided on the Full Moon motel in the next town over and booked them a room, two beds this time so Sam didn't get stuck on the couch again. River walked on unsteady legs into the room and immediately turned on the TV. Flipping through the channels until she settled on the local news. Sooner than she thought a special bulletin broke through the mundane morning news, "Hello and good morning this is Sally Smith on location. We've had a grisly discovery this morning in a quiet neighborhood in Norcross. A family of three has been found brutally murdered, apparently dead in their home for weeks." River sat back on the couch, listening to the bulletin as Dean and Sam brought in their bags from the car.

"Turn that shit off!" Dean barked as he locked the door.

"No, he planned this. He knew I would come," she said looking up at Dean as he turned the TV off. "I want to watch the news."

"You need to sleep, we all do. We can figure something out later," Dean told her, pulling her off the couch. He grabbed her duffle bag and led her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them.

River sat on the edge of the tub, holding her head in her hands, tears falling to the floor again, "I should've checked them, I should've come."

"You didn't do this River. That fucking monster did," Dean knelt in front of her, wiping tears away, "We'll find it. We'll end this." River shook her head weakly, not fighting Dean as he helped her out of her boots and jeans. He grabbed her sweatpants from her bag and handed them to her and then led her back out of the bathroom and made her lay down in the bed.

"I'm not going to sleep," she told him as he crawled in next to her. River did eventually fall asleep, wrapped in Dean's arms. Sam watched them from the sitting area, scanning the local news stations and police reports for leads.

"You guys need to see this," Sam woke them up several hours later, the sun setting outside and the room growing darker. River and Dean crawled out of bed and went to sit on the couch in front of the TV. A press conference was being held in front of the home the hunters had run from earlier in the day. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen of the press, I am Sheriff Thompson and we have some very important information regarding the suspected murderer of the Coyle family," a smiling picture of Greg, Sarah, and Lucas appeared on the TV to the side of the sheriff. "We have been contacted by the FBI and we believe the brutal murders of this family are related to a recent string of similar murders occurring in several states." River stiffened besides Dean, he grabbed her hand and she squeezed it. "We believe this woman, River McGregor, " a smiling photo of River from her nursing graduation appeared on the screen. River let out a choked scream, squeezing Dean's hand, "Is responsible for these serial killings. McGregor is originally from California but has not had a permanent address in almost a decade. She works as a traveling nurse and this may be the way she has come in contact with her victims. We believe her to be responsible for at least four other murders, these are a list of her known victims, our home viewers will be shown pictures."

River made another strangled noise as the pictures appeared on the TV, "Oh god, Rhonda and Mike. Jason. Harry. I'm sorry."

"Who are they?" Dean asked looking at her. If possible, River's face had gone several shades paler and her breaths were shallow and rapid. "Hunters. Hunters I've worked with; friends of Suki's. There names were in my journal…I killed them. I'm a serial killer. The FBI is after me. I'm dead," she whispered half to herself. "I…my life is gone. I can't work. What am I supposed to do? My savings account, I need to empty it. I can survive on that for a while," River jumped off the couch.

"I'll take care of it River, just give me your cards," Sam told her trying to calm her down. River fumbled with her wallet, hands shaking and finally just tossed the whole thing to Sam.

"How are you two so fucking calm! The FBI is after me. I have to go, I have to get away from you two. You'll be accomplices," River walked out of the sitting room and back towards her bag of clothes.

"River, relax. We can get through this. The FBI is always after us," Dean joked, "We'll go to Bobby he'll get you some new ID's. I honestly don't know how've you made it this far without even a little bit of identity theft. I'll show you how to cheat at pool, it'll be fine."

River stood up and stared up him incredulous. "You want me to stay? I'm a shit magnet who's miserable life just fucking imploded and you want to teach me how to cheat at pool?"

"You don't want to stay with us?" Dean asked walking up to her, trailing his hand slowly up her arm.

River smiled slightly, trying to calm the panicky feeling in her limbs. "Gods yes. I want to stay with you, Dean, as long as we have, until the end. I won't leave as long as you want me here," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "How the hell did I meet someone like you?"

"You got roofied," he said laughing.


	20. Chapter 20

Ch 20

The three hunters spent the night in the dingy motel; Sam leaving briefly to go get dinner. River sat on the couch watching as the news bulletin replayed. "You look happy in that picture," Dean told her sitting next to her as she sat curled up on the couch.

"I was, I guess. I just graduated from school. I still thought I could have a normal life…shit starting falling apart about six months after that picture was taken. Kind of feel like I've been treading water since then and I'm finally starting to sink," she told him, knees pulled up to her chest and chin resting on them.

Sam returned with food and relayed he had spoken with Bobby, the older hunter having seen River's face plastered on the local news in Sioux Falls as well. "Great, so it's already national," River muttered, picking apart her veggie burger, "I think I'm just gonna go back to bed. Wallow in self pity until the morning." She smiled weakly at the brothers and closed herself in the small bedroom.

The brothers went to bed some time later, Sam falling asleep within minutes of climbing into his bed. Dean quietly slid into bed with River, trying not to waker her. She turned to face him, snuggling into his chest where she kissed him lightly. "So you gonna spend the next six months teaching me how to be a real hunter? Play dress up, pick locks, hot wire cars…" she asked quietly.

"You don't know how to pick locks?" Dean replied.

"I haven't needed to. If a door's locked I'll just find another way in or out. Seven months, Dean, as of five minutes ago. Sam wants more time, I want more time. You deserve more time…What about Ruby? I thought she told Sam she could help you."

"She's lying. I don't want to argue about this. It'll be ok. Sam will ok. You will be ok. It will be better after I'm gone."

She was silent for several minutes, hands tracing the scars on Dean's chest, the edge of his hip and around to his back. "What's your favorite movie?" she asked, wrapping her arm around his waist and snaking her leg between his.

"Untouachables." he answered.

"Ooh thats a good one."

"Whats yours?" he asked her, rubbing the side of his face into her hair.

"The Goonies. Love me some Sean Astin. Favorite band?"

"Zepplin. Yours?"

"Johnny Cash, I could listen to the man in black all day every day."

"I don't have any Johnny Cash in the car."

"Maybe we can update your stereo so my iPod will work," she reached up in the dark and kissed under his chin.

"Not a chance," Dean retorted, laughing quietly. They bounced questions back and forth trying not to wake Sam until they finally fell asleep.

"Guys, we gotta check out in an hour." Sam woke them early the next morning.

"No," Dean pulled the blanket up and over his and River's heads.

"I think I found a case we can hit up on the way back to Bobby's." Sam continued.

River grumbled as the climbed out of bed, "I'm getting a shower before we leave." She grabbed her duffle bag and stomped into the bathroom.

Dean sat up in the bed, running his hands over his face to wake up, "I need a shower too." He picked through his bag and grabbed some clean clothes, "River I'm coming in so don't kick my ass!" he called opening the door.

"I guess I'll just pack up the car," Sam said to the empty room.

Before they left the motel room River took all of the ID cards out of her wallet, "You got a light?" she asked Dean. He smiled at her and handed her a small silver lighter. She flipped through the cards, her nursing license, her California drivers license, bank cards, and even a library card and threw them in the sink in the kitchenette. Sam handed her a bottle of lighter fluid which she squirted onto the small pile of plastic cards and then lit them on fire. "So long, Astoria," River muttered watching the flames.

"Goonies never say die," Dean said, snaking a hand around her hip.

"Sloth love Chunk!" Sam said squeezing the two in a bear hug.

She turned to face them smiling, "You guys are nerds." The three hunters left the motel, piled into Baby and hit the road.

River sat cross legged in the back seat, putting her makeup on and listening to Sam's rundown on the potential case. "Sturbridge, Massachusets. A woman, Janet, comes home from a party with her husband. Husband hears her scream, runs upstairs to find the bathroom door locked, he can't get in, door unlocks itself as soon as the screams stop. He finds her dead on the floor in a puddle of blood and teeth."

River looked up from the small mirror she was holding while applying mascara, "Teeth? Eww. You thinkin' demons?"

"Maybe, definitely worth checking out." Sam said turning around to face her. River finished her simple makeup and checked herself in the mirror. She dug through her duffle bag for a minute before puling out the pair of glasses she wore at work and a beanie. "What are you doing?" Dean asked her. She put the glasses on and pulled the beanie down over her hair, "Trying to be incognito, Winchester. Wanted by the FBI remember?"

"Massachusetts it is. If we drive straight through we can get there tomorrow morning," Dean said, turning up the radio and merging onto the highway. The three drove in silence for a few hours before River leaned forward poking her head between the brothers in the front seat. "So, about those fake ID's, you think I'll need one for this case? Maybe some grown up clothes too because the only stuff I own are jeans, t-shirts and a couple of scrubs."

Sam pulled up a map of the area on his phone and they settled on a town near the highway. The town was small, only a few stops lights and older neighborhoods. Mixed in with the regular cafes and dry cleaners was a small mom and pop general store with a novelty Photo Booth and a thrift store. "Here, take the hat off and lets take some glamour shots," Sam pointed out the photo booth.

"The fuck for, Sam?" River asked him.

"I can use the pictures and make you a couple of new ID's, they'll work until we get the legit ones from Bobby."

"Try and smile," Dean told her as she climbed into the Photo Booth.

"It's called resting bitchface, hot stuff. It's a real thing and I suffer from it." she said smiling as the machine started flashing. The photos printed out a few minutes later and Sam took them and headed back to the car to make River's new ID's. Dean and River headed to the thrift store to find clothes.

"Just look for a suit, basic color you only need one and nice pair of shoes," Dean told her, walking towards a rack of women clothes. River dug around for a bit before finding a suitable pair of slacks and a blazer as well as two button up shirts. Dean met her outside the dressing room with a pair of shoes.

"High heels? Seriously? I can't wear heels. How about a nice comfy pair of flats?" River told him. Dean turned and stalked back towards the shoe section as River gathered her new wardrobe and headed to the cashier to check out.

"Enough shopping, I'm starving." River said as she and Dean walked back to the Impala and Sam. Sam was bent over in the front seat carefully gluing River's photos to a few of their spare ID's. "I picked out a few with some names that could be unisex," Sam said handing River a badge.

She looked it over, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth, "CDC, huh? Let me guess, this one was Dean's. 'Johnny Hanson' from 21 Jump street right?"

Dean smiled, "Haven't been caught yet so don't blow it."

They walked to a cafe a few blocks away, passing families and small groups enjoying the mild evening. The cafe was brightly lit with shiny chrome fixtures and chili pepper red vinyl seats. The sign near the cashier read "Seat Yourself" so the three hunters choose the booth in the back as usual. River scooting over to be closest to the window with Dean sliding in next to her and Sam sitting across from them. "Hi, Welcome to Jenny's…Wow well look at you two. Glad I picked up tonight," the waitress appeared at their booth , pad and pencil ready for their orders, "You guys in town long or just tonight?" she asked Dean.

"Just passin' through," he answered.

"Oh well, that's a shame," she smiled down at Dean, licking her lips. River sat forward in her seat, eyebrows raised looking between the waitress and across to Sam.

"We'd all like coffee please," she asked the waitress.

The waitress blinked twice before acknowledging River, "I didn't even see you there, you kind of blend into the background next to these two, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm easy to miss while your eye fucking this one," River poked her thumb in Dean's direction, " Coffee, please." She smiled awkwardly until the waitress turned and walked away. "Jesus christ. That never gets old for you two, huh? You two specimens can walk in anywhere and automatically be the most fuckable things in the room. No wonder your egos are so big," River muttered to Dean shaking her menu open. Sam laughed at her outburst while Dean just smirked.

"I don't think you blend in to the background," Dean told her.

River let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes, "She's coming back, show some skin and get us free pie." Sam laughed again as the waitress placed the steaming cups of coffee in front of them. The waitress took their orders and was much subdued, talking mostly to Sam while she took their orders. "I'd like the peach shake also," River finished her order and handed the menu back to the waitress.

"I've heard those are delicious. I've never tried it, afraid I'd get thick thighs."

"Oh really? That's too bad," River said with mock concern, "I've never had a man complain about my thick thighs especially when I've got them pressed against his ears." River smiled again and ran her hand along the side of Dean's face. Dean smirked like an idiot and shrugged his shoulders at the waitress; Sam looked mortified and appeared to be shrinking below the table.

"She's gonna spit in your food," Dean said laughing when the waitress walked away.

"She wouldn't dare," River replied. Dean placed his arm over Rivers shoulder drawing her ear close and whispered something to her. She flushed scarlet and laughed, looking up as the waitress brought out the plates of food.

They ate quietly and discussed their plans for the upcoming case. Sam had decided that they should pose as CDC agents due to the bizarre hemorrhaging death of the young woman. "I'll drive 'till 0200 then you take over Sammy. Then we can start fresh when we get to town," Dean told Sam as they climbed back into the Impala after dinner. River sat in the backseat and dozed until they stopped several hours later so Sam could nap in the backseat and River could take shotgun with Dean. Sam maneuvered himself to a comfortable position in the backseat, slipping in his earbuds and throwing his jacket over his face to drown out the light. "Here, I found this at the thrift shop," Dean pulled a cassette out of his jacket pocket and handed it River.

She squinted at it in the dark, "Johnny Cash Greatest Hits. Can we listen to it now?"

"Yeah put it in," Dean answered smiling at her. She put the cassette in the tape deck and slid next to Dean, pulling his arm back over her shoulder. "Riders in the sky" started and River quietly sang along. They made it through the tape twice before it was time for Sam to switch places with Dean.

"You want me to stay up with you?" River asked as they got out of the car and stretched.

"No, I'm good. You two get a few hours of sleep. I'll wake you up when we get close." River smiled and climbed into the backseat with Dean and they jostled until the found a comfortable position to try and get some sleep.

"Can I tell you something, babe?" Dean murmured to River once they were settled.

"Mmmhmm," River replied pulling their small flannel blanket over her head.

"You're unbelievably sexy and a great hunter but you are a terrible singer."

"Fuck you, Winchester. I have the voice of an angel," she laughed elbowing him in the ribs.


	21. Chapter 21

Ch 21

Sam pulled into a rest area just after seven am the next morning. He reached behind the seat and shook Dean's knee until he and River woke up. "Need coffee…" River mumbled twisting and stretching her stiff back once they climbed out of the Impala.

"After we get ready," Dean said to her handing her the bag of clothes they picked out at the thrift store. She grumbled as she stalked to the women's restroom to get ready.

River appeared a while later wearing her new suit, hair in a sleek ponytail, minimal natural looking makeup, "Do I look like Agent Scully?" she asked the brothers twirling around in her new clothes.

"Yeah a little bit," Dean answered smiling at her.

"Good Scully's a badass. You two are looking fetching as usual," she said patting their chests as she climbed back into the Impala.

"Mr. Dutton? I'm Agent Penhall, this is Agent Fuller and Hanson, CDC. We'd like to ask you some questions about your wife's death," Dean flashed his fake badge followed by Sam and River. The young man glanced at the three badges before relenting and letting the three hunters into his home.

"Can you show us where your wife died?" River asked gently, smiling at the stricken man.

"Umm, yeah it was in our bathroom. I've already talked to the police and the medical examiner and no one can tell me anything." Paul said over his shoulder leading the three to the spot where his wife died.

"Well, thats why they called us in," Dean answered. Paul pointed to the bathroom and River and Sam walked in looking around. "Did your wife have any enemies? Anyone that would want to harm her?" Dean asked. Sam closed the bathroom door and River scanned the cabinet under the sink.

"You mean like someone that would hurt her or poison her? Is that what you think?" Paul's voice echoed through the door.

"Fuck," River muttered, grabbing the hex bag hidden under the sink and tossing it to Sam. Sam caught it and opened the bathroom door to show Dean.

"Well, thank you for your time Mr. Dutton. We'll be in touch."

"This is dark magic. Old world mojo, none of this hippy earth goddess bullshit," River said indicating the hex bag Sam was examining.

"Rabbits teeth, bones and this cloth is probably from something Janet owned." Sam said.

"Witches? I hate witches, always spewing their bodily fluids everywhere. It's unsanitary," Dean complained as the three climbed back into the Impala. "So what are we thinking? Some creepy Blair witch hag in the woods?"

"Could be anyone Dean. Their human, could be a neighbor, friend, coworker," River said leaning forward.

"Yeah but this wasn't random. We find the motive we find the witch," Sam said. "

I can try to locate where the spell was cast. I just need a map of the area, it might narrow down our search radius. Maybe you two can tail the husband?" River told them. They drove to the local motel and booked a room so River could try the tracking spell while Sam and Dean went to tail Paul Dutton.

Paul sat in his parked car eating a fast food cheeseburger and listening to ballad rock. Static blared on the radio before the dial switched to a new station, Screamin' Jay Hawkins smooth voice crooning about spells and love. He turned the radio off and took another bite of his burger not noticing the writhing mass of maggots it had become until it was too late. The dark magic began working and Paul gagged and choked, falling out of his car. "Check the car!" Dean called to his brother trying to help Paul stand.

Sam dug in the car desperately searching for the hex bag, "Got it!" Sam called finding the bag stashed under the seat. He lit it on fire and the man immediately stopped choking.

"What the hell is happening?" he cried to Dean.

"Look, your wife was murdered by a witch and now they're after you. You need to tell us who would want to hurt you." Dean said.

"There was a woman, I had an affair, it was a mistake. I broke it off a week ago," he stammered.

"What's her name?" Sam asked.

"Amanda Burns," he answered. Deans phone rang, he pulled it out of his pocket. "River, we got a name."

"And I got her address. Dean, be careful." River gave Dean the address she had gleaned from the spell. Sam and Dean rushed across town to the woman, Amanda's home. Sam picked the lock and the brothers entered the house with guns drawn. They found the woman slumped over an alter, dead from apparent slit wrists. "Well, this was unexpected. She kills Janet, tries to kill Paul then kills herself?" Dean said, looking at the grisly scene.

"Yeah, I don't know man," Sam checked the alter and under the coffee table.

"Look at this," he pulled out another hex bag.

"Shit," Dean muttered. "Lets call it in and head back to the room," Dean made a quick call to 911 and they left the witches house before the police showed up.

"Another hex bag. So we probably have a coven on our hands, maybe in fighting or a power grab," River said looking through the hex bag they found at Amanda's, "We should canvas the neighborhood tomorrow. Hopefully the coven is close by." They decided to start with Amanda's neighbors in the morning.

"You must have a green thumb," River called, walking up to the woman bent over her herb garden. The woman startled and looked up at River and Dean. "Sorry, Detectives Armstrong and Dirnt. We're here to ask some questions about your neighbor, Amanda Burns." River flashed her badge. Dean smiled, impressed at how quickly she was catching on to the acting.

"Amanda? I…I thought she killed herself," the woman stammered, standing up and nervously brushing dirt off herself.

"Well, it seems like Amanda was into some pretty dark stuff, we found Satanic paraphernalia all over her place." Dean said.

"Everything ok, Liz?" two women walked up the drive way and stood on either side of the short woman River and Dean had been interviewing.

"Rene, Tammi these are detective. They said Amanda was…" she stammered glancing at the women.

"Elizabeth, relax. Look, detectives this has been hard on us," The blonde woman said to Dean.

"Yes, of course, and what's your name?" River asked, smiling at the blonde woman.

"Rene Van Allen, you need me to spell it?" the woman said, enunciating every syllable and glaring back at River.

"I think I'll get by, thanks."

"Amanda was a friend of ours," Rene continued.

"Yeah you think you know a person…" Tammi said. "

Yeah, well, everyone has their secrets, right?" Dean said smirking. The three women had put up a wall and River knew they weren't going to get anywhere.

"Well, thank you ladies for your time. I'm sure we'll be in touch. Have a blessed day." River said as she and Dean turned and walked away. They walked down the block and away from the three women, Sam was leaning against the hood of the car waiting for them. "I want out of these clothes," River said climbing into the back seat of the car, kicking her shoes off and pulling of the stifling blazer.

"I want you out of those clothes too," Dean said smirking at her in the rear view mirror.

"Pretty sure me and Dean just ran into the rest of the coven, " River told Sam about the women they had interviewed. They decided to stop by the library for some quick research on the trio. Sam quickly found numerous articles and local news clippings mentioning Rene and Elizabeth. The sun was setting quickly and the three left the library and headed back to their motel room.

"Seems like Mrs. Rene Van Allen has won every art fair she's entered in the last three months and Elizabeth has won more raffles and prizes than humanly possible," Sam said, scanning through the articles they found.

"So maybe we should thank them. Amanda went off the reservation and they killed her to keep up appearances, saved us the trouble," Dean said

"Dean, they're using black magic. Their dangerous they need to die," Sam told him.

"Sam they're human and we don't know if they've hurt anyone besides another witch," River said leaning forward.

"We can't let them continue this, some innocent person might get caught in the crosshairs," Sam continued.

Dean shrugged his shoulders, "Burn witch burn." The Impala's engine coughed and sputtered then came to a rolling stop on the deserted road.

"What the hell does she want?" River asked noticing the young blonde woman now standing in front of the car. Sam and Dean climbed out of the Impala.

"Long time no see, Ruby." Dean said pulling out the Colt and training it on the demon.

"Sam listen to me, there's no time you need to get out of town." Ruby told Sam. River stayed in the car and watched the exchange between Ruby and the brothers.

"Look you black eyed bitch, we aren't worried about a couple of kitchen witches," Dean told the demon.

"I'm not talking about the witches, witches are whores, you idiot. I'm warning you about the one they serve, the one that gives them power. This is big, bigger than you two can handle and you need to leave now," Ruby said, glaring at Dean.

"Demons. They get their power from demons," Sam said looking at his brother.

"So what ? Another demon is town besides you?" Dean asked.

"Sam there is one here now and its way more than you can handle. You need to get out of town now."

"Sam, no, no don't listen to this shit. She's messing with your head. I don't know why but thats what they do," Dean yelled at his brother.

"I'm sorry why are you even a part of this conversation?" Ruby demanded taking a few steps towards Dean.

"Maybe because he's my brother." Dean yelled moving closer to the demon.

"Yeah because you care so much thats why your checking out in a few months," Ruby glared back at Dean and the gun he had trained on her.

"Shut up, bitch" Dean pointed the gun at Ruby.

"Dean no!" Sam yelled pushing the gun up as Dean tried to shoot the demon. The bullet went wide and Ruby disappeared.

"Shit," River muttered. Sam and Dean got back in the car, Dean gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, Sam working the muscles in his jaw. The tension in the car was electric and River sat back quietly not wanting to get in the middle of their pending argument.

They arrived back at the motel and Dean and Sam immediately began bickering.

"I'll umm just see if they have another room I think," River turned and walked towards to motels office.

"What are you thinking, Sammy? She's a demon, they want us dead, we want them dead." Dean yelled.

"Oh thats funny, what about that demon chick Casey, you got friendly with her , you didn't seem to keen on my killing her." Sam retorted.

"That was different she wasn't stringing me along like a fish on a hook!"

"No one is stringing me along Dean! Look, I know she's dangerous but she's also useful." Sam sat on the bed, running his hands through his hair.

"We need to kill her before she kills us!" Dean yelled again, pacing.

"Kill her with what, with the gun she fixed for us?"

"Whatever works." Dean told his younger brother.

"Dean if she wants us dead all she has to do is stop helping us. We need to think ahead Dean, strategy. It's not simple. We aren't just hunting anymore. We are at war." Sam said leaning forward, placing his hands on his knees. River walked in to the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. She grabbed her duffle bag from where it lay next to the table and sat down.

"Are you feeling ok?" Dean washed his face off in the sink and looked back at his brother.

"Why are you always asking me that?" Sam asked.

"Well, you're taking advice from a demon for starters." The two brothers hadn't acknowledged Rivers return to the room and she at the table watching them quietly. "By the way you seem less and less worried about offing people. You're supposed to be arguing about the sanctity of human life, blah blah blah." Dean said sitting down on the bed across from his brother.

"Whats that gotten me?" Sam asked.

"Nothing, we're just supposed to drive in the freaking car and argue about this stuff…"

"So your mad I'm starting to agree with you?"

"I'm worried Sam, I'm worried your not acting like yourself."

"Yeah, your right. I don't have a choice."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean said rubbing his stomach absently.

"Dean you're leaving. Me and River," Sam glanced at River where she still sat holding her duffle bag and watching with a worried look, "We gotta stay in this shit hole of a world and fight, alone. So the way I see it if I'm gonna survive, keep fighting this war then I have to change."

"Change into what, Sam?" River finally spoke, setting her duffle bag down and taking a step towards him.

"Change into Dean. I've got to be more like you." Sam said looking over at his brother. Dean started to say something but a pained expression briefly crossing his face, hand going to his stomach again.

"Dean you ok?" River asked.

Dean grimaced again and bent over, "No, somethings wrong…" he yelled in pain and fell onto the floor.

"The coven, Sam!" River yelled going to Dean as he squirmed on the floor.

"Oh god, its like there's knives inside me," he started coughing up blood.

"Sam we have to find the hex bag!" River ran to the bathroom and began searching under the sink and toilet. Sam tore apart the bed. Dean cried out again, vomiting a mouth full of blood on to the tile floor.

"I can't find it !" Sam yelled in frustration, he grabbed the Colt and the car keys and ran to the door.

"Sam! Sam where are you going?" River called after him. Dean lay curled in a fetal position.

"Dean, I can't find it baby. I can't find it!" she got on her hands and knees and crawled under the bed, flipped the chairs over and started grabbing the pictures off the wall. Sam sped off in the Impala back towards town and to the coven.

"Dean, I don't know this magic, I can't fucking help you," River said desperately. River had torn down the last picture on the wall when the door was kicked in. Ruby walked into the room.

"If you wanna kill me bitch, you're gonna have to get in line." Dean said from where he lay curled up on the floor.

"Get away from him," River yelled coming to stand between Ruby and Dean. Ruby said nothing but swatted River across the room with a simple flick of her hand. She grabbed Dean and threw him onto the bed, forcing his mouth open and poured an oily black liquid down his throat. River struggled to come to her feet and watched as Dean relaxed then sat up on the bed, healed.

"You saved my life," Dean said.

"Yeah well don't mention it." Ruby turned to walk back out of the room.

"What did you give him?" River called walking shakily back to Dean, she kneeled in front of him grabbing his face in her hands.

"That was ass, it tasted like ass. Was it ass?" Dean asked looking at Ruby.

"It's called witchcraft shortbus," the demon said looking back over her shoulder at the hunters.

"You're a shortbus," Dean retorted.

"Good comeback, Winchester." River told him, patting his knee. "You good to go? We need to go find Sam."

Dean and River walked out of the motel room to find Ruby waiting for them behind the wheel of a car. "I'm not sitting next to her," River muttered climbing in the backseat. Ruby drove them back to town and they pulled up outside Rene Van Allen's house. Sam had haphazardly pulled the Impala into the driveway. Ruby entered the house first and attempted to distract the demon wearing Tammi's meat suit. Ruby tried to stab Tammi with a large, deadly dagger. The two got into a struggle over the dagger but Tammi was much stronger and quickly subdued the blonde demon. Ruby was thrown into a bookshelf and collapsed under the ruble, moaning. River and Dean attempted to ambush Tammi as she was turned on Ruby but the rouse didn't work. "Well, two Winchesters and their whore. My lucky night," the demon bound the three hunters and pressed their backs into the wall, raising them several feet of the ground.

The last surviving member of the coven, Elizabeth snuck away to another room and began reciting a hex. "Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, you were one of my favorite pupils and now look at you. Throwing in with the Winchesters. Oh you didn't want your little friends to know about our history," Tammy grabbed Ruby by the shirt and pulled her to a sitting position. "Ruby here was a witch, centuries ago she sold herself to me when she was still human." Tammi took a shuddering breath and coughed up a handful of bloody needles. The demons concentration was momentarily broken and the three hunters fell from the wall. Sam and River coughing and gasping for breath. Dean jumped up and grabbed the dagger that Ruby had attempted to kill Tammy with; he grabbed her from behind and savagely stabbed the demon in her side multiple times. He dropped the lifeless corpse of Tammi and turned to help River and then his brother stand. Ruby got unsteadily to her feet.

"Go I'll clean up this mess," She told the hunters.

River helped Sam quickly clean his and Dean's room and remake their beds before she retreated to her own room. She cried silently in the hot shower, the stress of the night bubbling up. When she was done in the shower she turned on the TV and climbed under the covers. Dean hadn't come over and she wasn't sure if he would. The lights and TV flickered, causing River to sit up in the bed. "What now?" she muttered. She grabbed her gun off the table and cautiously crept to her window to glance outside. She saw Dean standing on the sidewalk, turned away from her. She tried to open her door, but the door wouldn't unlock. "Shit," she said going back to the window to watch Dean. Ruby had appeared next to Dean and they were talking, apparently civilly because Dean had yet to draw his gun. River watched them for several minutes until Ruby disappeared and then she tried to unlock the door. "Dean, you ok?" River walked out of her room and gently put a hand on Dean's shoulder. He turned to look down at her, jaw clenched. "What'd she say to you?" River tried to take Dean's hand, he pulled his hand away to rub his face.

"River, I don't want to do this right now," he told her.

"Hey, talk to me please. What's going on?"

Dean closed his eyes and let out a long breath, "She just confirmed a few things."

"Dean, you can't believe a damn word she says. She's a demon and she doesn't fucking know everything," River took a step towards him, standing on her toes to kiss him, "Come to bed, I've got quarters for the magic fingers." She brushed her lips against his but Dean didn't return the kiss.

He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, "I'll see you in the morning. Don't forget to lock your door." He walked past her and back into the room he was sharing with Sam leaving her alone in the dark parking lot.


	22. Chapter 22

Ch 22

River sat on her bed the next morning, she hadn't slept more than a few hours the night before. Her nightmares always seemed worse, more vivid after a stressful hunt. Her duffle bag was packed, she had showered and dressed just as the sun was rising and waited until the Winchesters woke up. Dean had sent her a text to be ready in an hour and she jumped when she heard the knock on her door. She opened it and looked up into Sam's smiling face.

"You ready?"

"Yup, lets blow this popsicle stand," she said walking out of the room. Dean was already behind the wheel, hands drumming along to a Led Zeppelin song. River climbed into the back seat and leaned forward, kissing Dean on his stubbled cheek. "Mornin' sunshine," she whispered in his ear. He smiled at her in the rearview mirror but didn't reply. She sat back and got comfortable for the long drive. They were headed back to Bobby's in Sioux Falls to regroup and resupply. It would be a two day drive with Sam and Dean trading off and only stopping for short breaks.

The first leg of the trip went smoothly, Sam and Dean bantering back and forth, debriefing each other on the parts of the hunt they had missed. Dean did not discuss what Ruby had told him and River wasn't sure if he and Sam had already talked about it. They grabbed sandwiches and coffee to go for lunch and afterwards Sam climbed into the backseat to rest while Dean continued driving. "So, you feel ok? That shit Ruby had you drink fixed everything?" River asked finally breaking the silence. "Yeah, right as rain," Dean said glancing at her. "Did you watch the Clint Eastwood marathon last night? Untouchables was on," River asked reaching her hand across the seat to touch Dean's. "No, fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow," Dean moved his hand back to the steering wheel as soon as River's fingers brushed his skin. River pulled her hands back into her lap and turned to stare out the window. Sam eventually fell asleep and his soft snores wafted from the backseat. "I'm sorry about the hex bag," River said after a long stretch of silence. "What? Why" Dean asked turning to look at her. "I couldn't find it, I couldn't help you; You were dying, you'd be dead right now if it weren't for Ruby," River said shaking her head and looking out the front window.

"Well, Sam couldn't find it either. So there's nothing to apologize for, I'm fine. I'm just tired and I have a lot on my mind," Dean told her turning the radio up a few decibels and effectively ended their conversation. River sat back in the seat and eventually fell asleep for a while, waking when she felt the car stop. Dean had pulled them off the highway at a rest stop, Sam awoke also and climbed out of the back seat stretching and groaning loudly. The three walked towards the restrooms and vending machines. When River exited the bathroom and walked back to where the Impala was parked Dean was already laying in the back seat with his jacket thrown over his face. River got back in the front seat with Sam. "So you feel like twenty questions or I Spy?" River asked him as they got back on the road. "What ever you want as long as we don't have to listen to Metallica anymore," Sam told her smiling.

The remainder of the trip back to Bobby's passed in pretty much the same way. Dean finding ways to keep the conversations with River to a minimum and sleeping alone in the backseat. The last six hours of the drive found River in the backseat, finally giving into the exhaustion she felt, curling up and falling asleep. In her nightmare she was back at the Conquistador motel in Massachusetts, frantically tearing apart the room as Dean lay on the flooring vomiting up his liquified insides. He curled up in agony, screaming for help, "Find the bag, River!" She screamed in frustration, sweat beading on her forehead and hands shaking, "I can't find it! I can't find it!"

"River, hey wake up we're at Bobby's." Sam reached behind the seat and gently shook her shoulder. She sat up, eyes wide but unseeing for a moment until the nightmare cleared. She wiped her hands over her sweaty forehead, "Was I talking in my sleep?" she asked. "No, just making noises. You ok?" Sam asked her looking worried. River noticed Dean had already got out of the car and was grabbing their bags out of the trunk. She nodded to Sam and climbed out of the Impala, stretching and moaning in ecstasy as her back cracked in all the right places. "Made coffee if y'all want some," Bobby grumbled as the three hunters shuffled inside each giving him a hug as they passed. River and Sam played rock, paper, scissors to see who could shower first. River lost and Sam gleefully ran up the stairs for a hot shower. "Here, got these for ya and Sam got your money transferred outta yer savings account also. I got some of it in cash if ya need it." Bobby handed River a stack of new ID's, drivers licenses, sheriffs department, FBI, CDC, everything she'd be able to use to get by. "Bobby, thank you for these," River said, taking the ID's, "and cash would be great, we're running low."

"There's still hot water," Sam yelled down the stairs when he finished his shower. "Oh thank god," River shover her ID's and the bundles of cash Bobby had stashed for her back in her duffle bag. "You want a shower?" River asked Dean as she walked by him sitting on the couch. "I'll get one later," he answered without looking up from the journal he was scratching notes in. River chewed her bottom lip for a moment before turning away from him and climbing the stairs.

They stayed at Bobby's house for two more days. River waking each day in bed alone and finding Dean passed out on the couch. Sam and Bobby said nothing but exchanged looks over their morning cups of coffee. "So I think I found us a case over in Indiana, sounds like a cursed painting," Sam said over breakfast. River and Dean agreed the case seemed interesting and they set out that afternoon.

They cursed painting was a cakewalk compared to the witch coven in Massachusetts. It took the three hunters less then a day to track the painting down and destroy it. The next two weeks passed in a blur, they ended up working three cases and drove through six states. For the first few nights in a motel the Winchesters and River continued to share a room in an effort to conserve their money and delay the boys running a scam to make ends meet or avoid squatting. Dean and River continued to share a bed but Dean had started sleeping turned away from her.

By their third stop River booked her own room. Dean ignored the sudden change and Sam didn't broach the subject with River. One night Dean had gone out to get dinner for everyone and River came to the boys room to sit with Sam while he was gone. "So…what's going on with you two?" Sam asked her. "Nothing…a whole lot of nothing. He hardly talks to me, doesn't want to be alone with me, won't touch me…sorry TMI," River said with a sigh. "He told you about Ruby?" she asked. "Yeah told me about the ass juice she gave him to break the hex and the bullshit about him turning into a demon."

Rivers phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. "Just an email," she told Sam. "Have you got any more calls from that psycho?" Sam asked about the shapeshifter. "No, not since Lucas…I don't know, maybe it's done playing. I don't have anything left to lose except you, Bobby and Dean and it's not stupid enough to go after you three." River said with a sad smile. Dean came back with dinner and the three ate mostly in silence, punctuated by a few snarky comments between the brothers. When they were done with the meal River and Sam got on their respective laptops and Dean turned on Casa Erotica.

"Looks like a werewolf in Louisville," River said looking over her laptop at Sam, who sat across the small dining table from her. "We should be able to make it before the new moon," Sam replied, "Sound good, Dean?" he called to his older brother where he lay on his bed uninterested and watching soft core porn. "Yeah, lets do it."

The werewolf case didn't go quite as easily as the cursed painting but they ganked the monster in the end. They tracked the werewolf and were able to lure it to an abandoned quarry. Everything was going to plan, River had lured the lycan down the path where Sam and Dean were waiting to ambush it. River ran as fast as she could, grasping her pistol and yelling to alert the Winchesters of their approach. The lycanthrope caught the mens scent before running far enough into the quarry and broke its pursuit of River, turning to charge Sam instead. Sam's shoulder was dislocated in the fight and Dean got a gnarly gash on his back when he body slammed the werewolf off his brother. River was able to shot the werewolf in the heart while Dean used his shotgun to force the werewolf snapping jaws away from his face. The werewolf's bloody body sagged onto Dean. "Son of a bitch, " he yelled, throwing the body off of him. River helped Dean bury the body while Sam sat in the car taking swigs of whiskey to numb the pain in his arm. "Well, that was fun." River said covered in sweat, mud and blood as she climbed into the backseat. Sam laughed weakly and Dean said nothing as he drove them back to the motel.

"Alright, let me see your back," she told Dean when they got back to the brothers room.

"I'll live, fix Sammy's shoulder first," he said slowly pulling his jacket off and throwing it onto the bed.

"Fine. Sit, Sasquatch I can't get your shoulder with you standing." River directed Sam to one of the chairs at the dining table. She pulled her grimy jacket off and wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Wait, you've done this before, right?" Sam asked tepidly taking a seat.

"No, but I just watched a video on YouTube, I got this Sammy. Trust me," she smiled at the tall hunter, "Alright, on the count of three," River placed her left foot on Sam's right hip, planted her right foot on the ground and grabbed Sam's right wrist, "One…Tw-" she pulled out and up with all her strength and got a satisfying pop when Sam's shoulder slid back into it's socket. "Oh fuck me!" Sam yelled. "Hey, I can't believe that actually worked!" she said smiling triumphantly.

"Ok, hot stuff. Let me get my glasses and my sewing kit. Sit on the bed, the lights better in there," River dug around her bag for a moment before finding her supplies. She washed her hands in the bathroom then took the lamp shade off to increase the light in the bedroom. Dean sat on the edge of the bed, the back of his flannel shirt soaked in blood. "Let me help you, baby," River murmured to Dean, gently pulling his button up shirt off and following with his his undershirt. "Shit, Dean. How'd you dig that grave with this," River ran back to the bathroom to grab some towels and clean the blood that was obscuring part of the wound. "I'm gonna start with the stitches now," River warned him as she pressed the curved needle through his skin, he hissed between his teeth but made no other noise. "All done," she leaned forward and kissed Dean's back, he stiffened as she wrapped her arms around his waist. " I miss you, Dean. Please talk to me."

"I can't…I can't do this anymore, River. All I can think about is what Ruby said, what's waiting for me…I want you to go, get away from me," Dean turned to face River, gently removing her hands from his waist. She sat back in the bed, eyes wide and shining with unshed tears.

"Dean…don't do this, not now" she whispered.

"Get your stuff and go back to your room, please." Dean said, standing and pulling her off the bed. She grabbed her jacket and duffle bag and left the Winchesters room without another word to either brother.

River woke early the next morning having decided she would walk the two miles to the bus station and catch a bus home to California. She unpacked her duffle bag for the third time and laid everything out, she was forgetting something but couldn't figure out what. "Shit, the katanas in the trunk," she muttered angrily to herself. She threw everything back in the bag and left her room to go check out at the office.

"Dean, you're really just gonna leave her here. No goodbye, no ride to the bus station," Sam said angrily slamming the door to their motel room.

"Sammy, it's over. She's better off on her own," Dean replied. The brothers turned around and came face to face with River, duffle bag slung over her shoulder an unreadable expression on her face.

"My swords in the trunk. It was Sakura's, has a lot of sentimental value and I'd like to get it back before you guys hit the road," she kept her eyes downcast. "River," Sam started. "I just want my sword, Sam," she followed him to the back of the car while he unlocked the trunk. River grabbed her sword from the trunk and maneuvered her bag to shove it inside. Dean's phone started ringing and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket, "Hello? Yeah this is Mr. Antilles. What?…Where?" Dean hung up the phone , "That was a doctor at Pittsburgh General, Bobby's in a coma."

"What? Pittsburgh?" Sam asked, slamming the trunk closed. "We gotta go check on him," River said, "It's Bobby, Dean. Please, let me come."


	23. Chapter 23

Ch 23

"You know what, I'm still exhausted after last night. River you take shotgun, I'm gonna try and sleep for a few more hours," Sam told her, climbing into the backseat.

"You guys stay up all night playing truth or dare?" River asked getting into the front seat with Dean, she still held onto her duffle bag and placed it in the seat between them.

The vague feeling she was forgetting something persisted and River went through her duffle bag again. She took each item out, shaking them and sighing. "Alright, what the hell are you doing? You're driving me crazy," Dean finally said when she started turning her socks inside out.

"I don't know. I feel like I've lost something or I'm forgetting something," she said.

"Well, what do you think you lost?" Dean asked her.

"This is the most you've spoken to me in two weeks," She smiled and started shoving her stuff back in her bag. "If I knew what I forgot then maybe I wouldn't have forgot it, Winchester."

"Fair enough. Where were you going this morning?" Dean asked her.

"Bus station then California. I haven't been home in a few years. Thought I'd hit the beach and Disneyland. Try not to get arrested by the Feds," River smiled at him and tucked her duffle bag by her feet. "You were really gonna ditch me like some ugly prom date? That's cold, Winchester. I don't know what I did to fuck this up so bad but…" she turned to look out the window.

"You didn't do anything, Riv, come on. It's not like that. I just…whats the point? I'm going to hell, I want you and Sam to stop worrying about me. If that means getting you away from me so be it," Dean looked over at her.

"You act like you don't want to be saved. I can't save you, Sam can't save you. All we wanna do is keep you alive. Have you seen the way Sam looks at you? This is eating him up, what's he gonna do when you're gone? He's so afraid of whats going to happen to you, what you might become. God damn it, how can you care so little about yourself?" River's voice rose as she turned back to face Dean causing Sam to sit up in the backseat, "You're a good man, Dean. You deserve to stay here with Sam and keep fighting. I'll keep reminding you of this until it sinks into your thick, stubborn skull."

They arrived in Pittsburgh the next morning, neither River or Dean saying much to each other after their heated discussion the night before. "Mr. Antilles, we've run every test we can think of. Everything is coming back normal, even his EEG is showing normal delta waves," the doctor rattled off.

"Wait…wait a god damn minute what are you saying?" Dean was getting impatient at the doctor and his jargon.

"He's saying Bobby's asleep and won't wake up," River answered, "Look, doc. I'm a friend of the family and a nurse. I just have some questions and I'd like to look at his test results and medical chart." River followed the doctor to the nurses station leaving the Winchesters with Bobby.

"Everything's like the doctor said, tests are normal, blood work is good for a man his age," River said as they left the hospital and headed to Bobby's motel. "So what the hell is Bobby doing in Pittsburg?" Sam asked as he and Dean entered Bobby's room.

"I don't know man, there has to be some sort of something, news clippings, research, a freakin pizza box or beer can at least," Dean said as he and Sam went through the room, opening and closing drawers, looking under the bed. "Your room ok?" Dean asked as River walked in.

"Yeah except I'm on the first floor right next to the back exit the hookers take. Find anything yet?"

"Maybe, look at this," Sam opened the closet and found pages from books, news papers and an obituary tacked to the wall behind Bobby's clothes.

Dean pulled a page off the wall and looked at it, "This mean anything to you?" he asked handing the page to River. It was an intricate drawing of a yellow plant or flower with a complicated latin name.

"Do I look like a fucking botanist, Winchester?"

"Check out the obit. Dr. Gregg, 64, studied sleep habits. Went to sleep himself and never woke up," Sam said looking at River and Dean.

"Maybe Bobby found something, started hunting the something that killed this guy," River started.

"Whatever he was hunting could of started hunting him?" Dean finished.

"Where'd the good doctor work at?" River asked.

"Looks like, University of Westmoreland." Sam told her scanning the rest of obituary.

"You two nerds stay here and see if you can make heads or tails of this," Dean said turning away from the other two.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked his older brother.

"I'm gonna go check out the doctors office myself," Dean called, walking out of the room.

"He's such a jackass sometimes," River muttered pulling the pages off the wall.

Dean changed into his fed suit and headed to the university. He found Dr. Gregg's former assistant and with some mild persuasion gained access to his office. "So, Dr. Gregg studied sleep disorders and dreams?" Dean asked the young woman who worked as Dr. Gregg's intern.

"Yeah, look I already spoke with another detective. A nice older gentleman, can't you just check his notes. I'm busy." she told Dean.

"Yeah, sure. Another detective you say? Well, how about I just come back later, take you downtown and get your statement on the record all official like?" Dean said, dialing up the official sounding jargon that usually made people nervous.

"I already talked to a lawyer, they can't hold any of this against me. I didn't know about his experiments." she said nervously.

"Experiments, huh? Well, I don't know what that lawyer of yours said but with the new evidence we've discovered I'm sure I'll at least be able to take you to the station for a 48 hour hold until we get our facts straight," Dean stood up tall, looking at the nervous woman, "Unless you turn over all his notes and research on the experiments to me, now." The young woman paled at the thought of being arrested and immediately began gathering the charts and files for Dean.

"I think I found someone else to go talk to, Dr. Gregg was running some sort of unauthorized sleep experiment. I'm gonna go check out one of his subjects," Dean called Sam and gave him the update. Sam and River were still pouring over Bobby's notes and researching on line.

"What you think the odds are that this new and interesting subject either has a huge rack or is meeting him at a bar?" River muttered sarcastically, not looking up from her laptop screen.

"Hey, man. I don't know what the R.A. said but I was growing ferns," a pale young man with dark hair and green eyes told Dean when he flashed his Pittsburgh Police badge.

"Take it easy, Phish. That's not why I'm here. You were one of Dr. Gregg's subjects in his sleep study, right?"

"Yeah, I suffer from Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome," the young man, Jeremy, told Dean, turning to his fridge. "It means I can't dream, I was in accident as a kid and hit my head. Haven't dreamed since." He turned back with a cold bottle of beer and offered it to Dean, "Unless you're on duty or whatever…"

Dean smiled and took the beer, prying the cap off by hand and taking a long swallow. "Dr. Gregg was working on a treatment for your syndrome, right?" Dean asked, taking another drink of the cold beer.

"Yeah, he gave us this yellow, foul tasting tea."

"Wha'd it do?" Dean asked.

"Nothing, I just passed out…and then started having these super intense, vivid dreams. Like a bad acid trip," Jeremy said evenly.

Dean shook his head in understanding, "Yeah, totally… I mean , no no idea whats that's like."

"Anyways, I dropped out of the study right after that. I didn't like. I was scared to tell you the truth," Jeremy told Dean as he finished his beer.

"Thank you for your insight, we'll be in touch if we have any more questions," Dean left the young mans dorm room and headed back to the motel.

"So the name of the plant is African Dream Root, it's been used for centuries by African shamans to perform rituals and spirit walking, think astral projection," River told Dean, when he got back to Bobby's room.

"It allows someone to completely control their dream reality and if they take in a piece of someone else, like a piece of their DNA, it allows the drinker to enter the other's dreams. Effectively controlling the dream environment," Sam finished.

"Huh, so maybe Bobby got dosed with this African Dream Root and now he's stuck in his own head. We need to get our hands on some of that stuff," Dean said catching on.

"Why would we do that?" River asked.

"We need to get in Bobby's dream and see if we can get him back out to the real world."

"Dean, you wanna get in Bobby's head?" River asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"How bad could it be? Come on it's Bobby," Dean said shrugging.

"Bad, Dean, it could be bad. I've been doing this less than a decade and I now how awful my nightmares can be, Bobby he's seen some shit, " River told him, "Let's think about this, hot stuff. This is some Freddie Kruger Dream Warrior shit. Dr. Gregg died in his sleep, meaning he was mostly likely killed in his dream world. Do you see where I'm going here? Die in the dream and you die in real life." River said.

"It's Bobby, we've got to try something."

"Yeah ok but the only problem is how are we going to get our hands on some of this stuff? It's extremely rare…oh," Sam paused as a thought struck him.

"Don't fucking say it, Winchester," River said looking at the brothers.

"Bela, Bela can get it for us. She's makes my skin crawl just thinking about her," Dean said with a sneer.

"I can't stand that bitch," River muttered.


	24. Chapter 24

Ch 24.

Sam sat dutifully at the small table in the motel room continuing to pour over Bobby's notes when he heard a quick knock at the door. He got up and checked the peep hole before opening the door. "Bela? What are you doing here?" he asked in a surprised tone.

"Well, I heard you needed help on a case," Bela said. The woman was wearing an oversized dull brown raincoat but was still drop dead gorgeous with perfect auburn hair, petite body and sexy British accent . "But truthfully, Sam. I came for you," Bela untied the belt of her coat and let it fall seductively to the floor, she was wearing nothing but sheer, black silk lingerie.

"What?" Sam asked dumbfounded as Bela stepped closer, running her hands under his shirt and up his muscular chest.

"I want you, Sam," she told him before wrapping her hands behind his neck and pulling him into a passionate open mouthed kiss. Sam gave in immediately, hands traveling over every inch of Bela's body he could get to and walking them backwards to the bed.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Yes, I need you," she replied laying down on the bed and opening her legs to him. Sam didn't need more of an invitation and quickly stripped, climbed on top of Bela and positioned his throbbing erection…

"Sammy! Wake up!," Dean yelled at his younger brother.

Sam jolted up and wiped the drool of his mouth. "Havin' a good dream there, Sam?" River asked from where she sat sitting crossed legged on one of the beds, medical charts and notes spread out in front of her.

"What?" Sam asked, shifting in his chair.

"You were makin' all sorts of happy nosies. Who you dreamin' about? Angelina Jolie?," Dean asked with a smirk from the arm chair he was sitting in, "Or Brad Pitt?"

"What? No…no. What are you guys doing?" Sam said flustered.

"Trying to decipher these notes, I swear doctors write like shit on purpose," River answered, sitting back against the headboard.

"I called Bela," Dean said, throwing his pile of notes on the bed next to River's.

"Oh yeah? Uhm, what did she…is she going to help us?" Sam asked a little to eagerly. River looked at him then glanced at Dean with eyebrows raised.

"Surprisingly, no ,she told me in that very British way of hers to fuck off." Sam deflated in his chair and couldn't mask the temporary look of disappointment.

"Well, boys its been a real productive evening. But I'll go back to my room now on the hooker wing," River said getting off the bed.

"You want me to walk you to your room?" Dean asked.

River smiled, "No, I'm a big girl Winchester. Better off on my own, remember?" she said snarkily walking herself to the door. She opened it and let out a surprised gasp, Bela stood on the other side with her hand raised just getting ready to knock. "Bela, lovely to see you. You backstabbing, Limey cunt," River said venomously.

"Ah, River. I heard you were screwing…I mean working with the Winchesters. Glad you made it out of that little predicament in Rochester," Bela said walking into the motel room. She took off her coat and Sam sat up a little straighter in his chair, "Hi, hi Bela."

"Little predicament? You told me that grimoire had a spell I could use to track a shapeshifter and the witch it belonged to was some earth goddess, menstruation worshipping hippie not a five hundred year old grand witch," River shot back.

"Well, that mojo bag I sold you protected you didn't it?" Bela retorted, turning and smiling at her. The Winchester brothers were watching the women's barbs like a tennis match, heads bouncing back and fourth each time one of them sent a volley.

"Yeah her hexes just bounced right off but then her familiar attacked me and they proceeded to try and eat my god damn pancreas," River said pulling her shirt up to show Bela the jagged scar that ran breast bone to navel.

"Really, River. I thought you'd be over this by now. Water under the bridge, you know it was merely business. Plus who do you think called emergency services for you? You could have bled to death."

"Bela, did the grimoire even have the spell I needed?" River asked.

"Yes I believe it did, thats why I got such a pretty penny for it," she smiled.

"That's it. I'm gonna break your perfect fucking nose," River took a step towards the smaller woman.

"Alright, cool it you two. Bela, what the hell are you doing here?" Dean stepped between the women before River could attack. River stalked back to the bed she had been previously sitting on.

"African Dream Root, nasty stuff, very hard to come by," she pulled a glass bottle out of her purse and handed it to Dean.

"What the hell are you helping us for?" Dean asked her taking the bottle from her.

"You said this was for Bobby Singer, right? Well I owe him one, he saved my life," Bela answered. Dean took the jar and put it in the wall safe next to the Colt, spinning the dial to lock it. Bela casually watched Dean before turning back to River and Sam. "So this must be cozy, who can I bunk with tonight?"

River let out a loud "Ha!" at her remark.

"What it's two a.m? Where do you want me to go?" she asked.

"Well, Bela, that's not really our problem now is it? Good night." Dean told her leading her to the front door.

"Skinny, stuck up bitch," River muttered when Dean slammed the door in Bela's gapping face, "So when are you two departing on the magical mystery tour?"

"You're not coming?" Dean asked her.

"Leave my body here completely undefended while we fight god know what in Bobby's head? No, I'm good. I'll take one for the team and watch you too sleeping beauties. Lemme just go get a snack and something to read real quick." River left the room to gather what she needed for the long night leaving the Winchesters to make their magic tea. She returned a few minutes later with a bag of popcorn and a Stephen King book.

"What are you reading?" Dean asked handing Sam his cup of Dream Root tea, River held up the cover for him to see.

"Dreamcatcher? Real fucking funny," he said sitting down on the bed opposite his brother.

"Well, bottoms up," Dean tilted the cup to drink his tea.

"Wait! Oh man, almost forgot this." Sam pulled out an envelope from his pocket.

"What the hell is that, Sam?" River asked.

"Bobby's hair. We need a piece of his body if we want to enter his dream."

Dean made a disgusted face as he dumped the hair in his murky yellow tea. "Be careful, bring Bobby back." River smiled at them. The brothers clinked their glasses together in a quick toast then downed their foul drink. River sat in the arm chair next to the beds watching the brothers, they glanced at each other in that eerie non-verbal way of theirs and then immediately fell backwards onto the bed in deep sleep. "Holy shit, it worked." River said startled, getting out of the chair and looking down at the brothers peaceful faces.

"Do you feel anything?" Sam finished the disgusting drink in one long swallow and looked over at his older brother.

"Nope, not a thing. You think we got a bad batch." Dean said shuddering as he finished his tea. They sat on the edge of their respective beds for a moment, waiting for the Dream root to take effect.

"Hey, when did it start raining?" Sam asked.

Dean got up to look out the window, "When did it start raining upside down?" The rain outside the window was indeed falling in reverse, pelting the window in upwards droplets raising from the ground outside. The brothers looked once more around their surroundings and found themselves in dark but nicely decorated sitting room. "So Bobby's dreaming of Better Homes and Gardens?" Dean quipped.

Sam gazed around, "No, imagine piles of books and crap and dust everywhere…"

Dean followed his line of sight, "This is Bobby's house?" Sam nodded and the two set out to look for Bobby. Sam noticed the front door and headed towards it, "I'll check out here."

Sam exited the dark house and immediately found himself outside on a well manicured lawn in the middle of a beautiful sunny day. Clean laundry flapping in the mild breeze to dry. He took a step away from the front door and it swung shut, locking him outside.

"Bobby! Bobby!" Dean yelled climbing the stairway to the second floor.

"Dean?" came a muffled reply from the end of the hallway.

Dean jogged towards the door the voice was emanating from, "Bobby, open up it's Dean!"

"Dean?" Bobby's voice called out, unsure and uncharacteristically afraid. Bobby fumbled with the doorknob with shaking hands and swung it open. "Dean! Boy get in here before she comes back!" he hollered, grabbing Deans arm and trying to pull him through the doorway.

"No, Bobby, no. This is a damn dream you gotta wake up! None of this is real!"

Bobby's eyes shown with confusion and fear, "If this ain't real then how is she here?" Dean turned his head to the point at the end of the hall that Bobby was staring at. There stood a pale woman with a dirty house dressed covered in blood, "Bobby!" She screeched taking a lurching step forward.

"Bobby who the hell is that?" Dean asked, glancing back at the older man.

"Li…Lisa my wife," he whispered turning around and scrabbling for the door he came out of. The door was gone, replaced with a blank wall. "Balls…" he muttered turning back to the shambling woman.

"Bobby, you killed me! You stabbed me with that knife again and again and again." she stumbled close enough for Dean to see the stab wounds that marked her pale skin.

"You were possessed baby. Rabid, I didn't know what I know now!" Bobby pleaded with her.

"You knew! You wanted me dead!" she came closer and Bobby's nerve broke, he grabbed Dean's arm and the ran down the hallway to another room. The woman screeching at them as she followed.

Sam wondered around outside, weaving in between the fluttered laundry when suddenly in his peripheral vision he saw a man surge towards him. He had enough time to slightly turn his body as the man swung a baseball bat into his shoulder. The force of the swing knocked Sam down, "Who are you? You don't belong here," the man said looking down at Sam.

"You don't either. This is my friends head."

"You should get better friends. He came after me, I'm defending myself!" the man yelled at Sam, raising the bat for another swing.

"He came after you because you're a murderer!" Sam yelled back.

"You should be nicer to me. In here you're an insect and I'm a god." the man spat at Sam.

"God damn it, Bobby! This is a dream!" Dean yelled again as he slammed the sliding doors shut. The woman flung herself into them a second later and proceeded to screech and beat her fists into the door. Dean glanced around then pulled a phone cord out of the wall and used it to tie the door shut. "This is a dream Bobby! You gotta wake up!" Bobby dragged a shaky hand across his brow, Dean's words glancing off of him. His sole focus on the demonic screams and pounding coming from the other side of the door. "Bobby you're like a father to me! I'm not gonna let you die in here. You gotta listen this is a dream and you need to take control of it now!"

The fog that had settled around Bobby's mind finally broke and he looked at Dean with a new understanding, "A dream…" The screaming stopped.

"Say nighty night," The man wound up another swing with the baseball bat and aimed at Sam's head. Sam brought his arms up defensively knowing it would do little good.

"Now wake up Bobby! Wake up!" Dean yelled. Bobby took a great shuddering breath and sat up in his hospital bed at Pittsburg General. At the same instance all the way across town Dean and Sam shot up from where they had been lying unconscious for the last several hours.

"Oh fuck…shit," River dropped her book and stared at the two, "Jesus, I almost peed my pants. You get Bobby out too?"


	25. Chapter 25

Ch 25

"So Bobby, all that stuff with your wife actually happen?" Dean asked Bobby, who was wide awake now but still confined to a hospital bed.

"Everybody got into huntin' somehow," the older hunter replied, "Thank you for savin' me. If it weren't for you, Dean, I'd still be stuck in there or dead." Dean smiled slightly at the praise and shuffled through the papers that littered Bobby's bedside table.

"Hey Bobby, how are you feeling?" River and Sam returned each holding cups of hospital coffee and passed them to Dean and Bobby.

"Just fine, sweetheart, just fine." Bobby smiled at her as she gave him a quick squeeze.

"So, stoner boy wasn't in his dorm. Probably already skipped town." Sam said, sitting at the edge of Bobby's bed.

"He's hardly a stoner. Name's Jeremy Frost, IQ 160, full on genius. That's saying something since his dear old day took a baseball bat to his head when he was seven, gave Jeremy Charcot-Wilbrand. Hasn't dreamed since. Here's father of the year; died when Jeremy was ten," Bobby said handing Sam a color copy of the man's drivers license.

Sam gazed at the photo and handed it to River, "Looks like a great guy," she said dryly.

"So Jeremy hadn't dreamed 'till he started dosing with the dream root." Dean said, "Hey, how'd he know how to dig up your worst nightmare and use it against you?"

"I don't know, he was rooting around in my skull and dug something up," Bobby replied.

"Yeah, but how'd he get in there in the first place?" Sam asked.

"Wouldn't he need some of your hair or DNA or something?" River asked as she sat in the chair next to Dean.

"Yeah before I knew it was him, he offered me a beer. I drank it…Dumbest friggin' thing." Bobby spat disgustedly.

Dean shifted in his seat and scrunched up his face, "Oh, I don't know. It wasn't that dumb."

Sam looked at his brother in exasperation, "Dean you didn't?"

"I was thirsty…" he lamely answered.

River whipped her head towards him, "Really, Dean! I'm the prime fucking example of why you don't take drinks from strangers and you took a drink from Freddy Krueger?"

"This is great now he can come after either one of you!" Sam exploded. River got up from her chair with sigh and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Dean called.

"We have to find him before he gets in your god damn head, Dean," she called over her shoulder.

"She's right, we gotta work fast and coffee up because the one thing we can not do is fall asleep." Bobby said.

Sam and Dean followed River out of the hospital and back to the Impala. "Lets go back to his dorm, see if anyone knows where he might be," Sam said.

"No friends, no job. He's kind of a weirdo, who'd a thought? The RA let me into his dorm room though," River told the brothers as she slid into the car.

"He let you in? I had to pick the lock," Sam turned around and looked at River where she sat in the backseat.

"I told him Jeremy and I hooked up and he kept my underwear like a creeper and I wanted it back and presto instant access. Anyways, found a receipt to a strip club "Foxy Loxies" and his neighbor told me Jeremy was kind of stalking a waitress at a cafe near campus."

"We'll take the strip club, you get the waitress," Dean told her.

"Wow, never saw that assignment coming," River said rolling her eyes at Sam. "The cafe is closed today, so I can go tomorrow. Maybe we can check out the campus library, see if we can get into his email account, maybe he's got an internship or a T.A position somewhere." After a few hours at the library, Sam hacked into Jeremy's school and private emails which gave them a few more potential leads while River asked around if anyone had seen Jeremy. With no solid info the boys dropped River off at the motel so she could try a tracking spell and they left to check out the other leads.

Two days later Sam and Dean were still following any potential trail of Jeremy, Dean living off of coffee and becoming more surly by the hour. "Hey, Sam, you get anything at the doctors office?" River called Sam, the brothers hadn't returned to their motel room all night and had been checking in infrequently.

"No, dead end. How about you?" Sam replied.

"Yeah, talked to the waitress, her names Janessa. Took a little bit but she told me she went out on a few dates with Jeremy but broke it off before it got too serious. But, umm she's been having trouble sleeping lately. Having scary, hyperreal dreams about Jeremy. Violent, sexual dreams that she's having a hard time waking up from…," River told him.

"Jesus," Sam muttered.

"Oh and Bela called Bobby, said she'll help us try and track Jeremy. She's got a fancy tarot card set and a spirit board we can try," River said, "You guys coming back to the motel tonight?" Sam told her they were headed back to the strip club and didn't know when they'd be back.

Bela showed up to Bobby's room a few hours later and she and River attempted to use the Spirit Board to locate Jeremy. "Nothing but gibberish," River scooted away from the table in disgust. Her tracking spells hadn't worked either and Bela wasn't getting any straight answers from her tarot cards. River sighed and called Dean to check in, "Hey, hot stuff how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fan-fucking-tastic, River. You just call to chit chat or you have some useful info?" Dean almost yelled into the phone.

"Simmer down, princess. I'm on your side remember?"

"Can it! Did you use one of your fancy ass witch spells to find this asshat or what?"

"No, they're not working. I don't know why, maybe because his physical body is in one spot but his spirit is somewhere else?"

"Well, thats just great River your about as useful as an extra hole in my fucking head!" Dean yelled into the phone and hung up on her.

River pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at it, "Asshole. Alright, Bobby. I'm done. I'm going back to my room, I'll look through my books and see if I can find anything else." River left Bobby and Bela in his motel room.

Bobby turned to Bela as she shuffled her tarot cards and began another round. "Why are you helping us, Bela?" he asked.

She looked up at him in surprise, "Bobby, I'm surprised you don't remember. Flagstaff?" Bobby looked at her for a moment, "Flagstaff?"

"You want me to drive, Dean?" Sam asked concerned, "You seem a little…caffeinated."

"Thanks for the news flash Edison!" Dean yelled at him, "Where the hell is this guy he isn't a friggin' ghost!"

River called Sam as she walked back her room, "Hey, how's he doing?" Sam looked across the seat at his older brother, "Pretty sure he's about five minutes from a complete freak out."

"Who is that, who are you talking to?" River heard Dean yell at Sam.

"Tell him to come back to the motel and we'll figure something else out," she said.

"Wait, Dean what are you doing? He's pulling over, I'll call you back later," Sam abruptly ended the call.

"Well, thats just great."she muttered unlocking the door to her room.

"That's it. I'm done," Dean pulled the Impala off the road and parked it in a wooded area.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked as Dean slunk down in his seat.

"Takin' myself a long over due nap." Dean said as he laid his head back and closed his eyes.

"Wait, what? Jeremy can come after you," Sam said exasperated.

"That's the idea. We can't find him, so let him come to me."

"On his own turf where he's basically a god?"

"Yup. I can handle it."

"Well, I'm coming with you." Sam said as he pulled a few hairs out of the top of Dean's head.

"No you're not!" Dean yelped in surprise and then checked his vibrating phone, "She doesn't take a hint." He said turning his phone off.

Sam did the same with his, "She's worried about you. You basically benched her back at the motel with Bobby and Bela."

Dean ignored him and tried to find a comfortable position. "I don't want you digging around in my head," Dean glared at his younger brother.

"Too bad, I'm coming and at least this way it's two against one." Sam quickly mixed his Dean-dream root and drank it. Dean had already laid his head back again and was starting to softly snore.

"Son of a bitch voicemail…" River angrily slammed her phone down on the dining table, paced a few times then picked it back up. She pounded call back and waited for Dean's phone to ring, "Hi this is Dean's other phone. You know what to do."

"Listen, asshole. You want me to leave, I got it. Theres a bus tomorrow morning to Cali. But could you just have some basic decency to let me know you two are alive that'd be great," she hung up the phone and tried Sam's number. She didn't leave a voicemail for him instead she texted him a string of glaring red angry emojis. River set her phone back down on the table and decided to taking a shower would be more productive then worrying about the Winchesters.

Sam sat up groggily from where he was laying, head leaned against the passenger door of Baby. "Dean?…Dean," he looked across the seat at his older brother who still completely out and drooling. Sam reached over and smacked his brothers arm causing Dean to jolt awake,

"Hmmm…what are we still doin' here?" Dean glanced around confused.

"I have no idea," Sam answered. The sound of twigs cracking and rustling leaves pulled the brothers attention, "There's someone out there," he whispered.

The two got out of the Impala and started walking around. Music drifted out of the woods, "So please, please, please let me, let me, let me, get what I want this time". Dean turned towards the music and a room appeared. River looked up and smiled at him, her hair down in messy waves, wearing nothing but one of Dean's button up flannels and lace black underwear. Sam looked over at his brother, eyebrows raised.

"Oh this is a good one," Dean said smiling.

"Hey baby," River said, walking over to Dean.

The flannel shirt unbuttoned and just covering her breasts, Dean ran his tongue over his bottom lip before biting it, "Hey yourself." River ran her hands under Deans shirt and lightly dragged her nails over his chest, "That was a rough hunt." Her hands dropped to his belt buckle where she started expertly loosening it, "You wanna forget about it for a while?" she said snaking her hand inside Dean's boxers. Dean leaned his back and groaned at Rivers touch.

"Dude!" Sam said rolling his eyes, dream River made no inclination she saw or heard him. River seemed to skip forward in time as if someone was fast forwarding Dean's dream. In the next instance she was looking up at Dean, head tilted and moving in for a kiss. Dean reached down and pulled her possessively towards him, hungrily kissing her. God she felt so real, he thought. He pulled away from the kiss and River smiled at him again.

"I love you, Dean," she said before she faded away.

Dean stood there for a moment then looked over at his younger brother, "She's…she's never said that before."

"Where'd she go?" Dean asked as River and the room disappeared.

Sam quickly looked around and saw a shadowy figure standing in the trees behind them, "Dean, this way!" Sam took off running and Dean followed after him. The trees seemed to grow thicker as Dean tried to follow his brother but within an instant Sam was out of sight. The trees seem to shrink and blend before Dean's eyes; he blinked and the forest turned to wallpaper and he was now standing in a long dark hallway. "Ok," he muttered to himself and walked cautiously down the hallway. A door at the end of the hallway unlatched and swung open as Dean walked towards it. Inside a figure sat at a desk in the corner clicking the light on and off as Dean took a tentative step forward. "Jeremy?" Dean called. The figure stopped clicking the light and turned in the chair to face Dean. Dean drew in a sharp breath and smiled mirthlessly as he stared at his double, "Well, aren't you a handsome son of a bitch?"

Dean's double reflected his smile, "Hey, Dean we need to talk."

"Alright I get it, I'm my own worst nightmare. Very original, kind of like Luke facing off against himself in that swamp," Dean grumbled to his double. Dean and his twin started slowly circling each other.

"Joke all you want smart ass," the other Dean told him, "But you can't lie to me. I know the truth, I know how dead you are inside. How worthless you feel. How you look into a mirror and hate what you see."

Dean's jaw clenched for a fraction of a second before he regained his composure and smiled again, "Look pal, this isn't going to work on me."

"Sure it is. I'm you. I know how crazy you are for that red head, how badly you want her and yet you're doing your damnedest to make her hate you. Hate you like you know we deserve." The double smirked at Dean.

Dean paused his pacing and clenched his fists, "You're not me. And I'm in control here, I snap my fingers and your gone." Dean snapped his fingers once, twice and a third time.

His double tilted his head and frowned, "I'm not going anywhere and like I said we need to talk." The double lifted a sawed off shotgun and causally braced it on his shoulder.

River was just getting out of the shower when she heard her phone ring, she quickly wrapped the towel around her self and ran to answer the call. She glanced at the caller ID "Dean's other other number" and furrowed her eyebrows, "Hello?"

"Hey, I didn't think you'd answer," Dean's gravelly voice echoed back.

"I probably shouldn't have. Are you OK?" she answered.

"Yeah we got everything taken care of."

"I thought you lost this phone," River said.

"Yeah I though so too but I found it under the front seat, exactly where you said it'd be," Dean laughed on the other side.

"Ok, well good to know you made it out of dream land alive…see you later I guess." River said getting ready to disconnect the call.

"No, wait Riv. Can we just talk for a while, can I come by your room when me and Sammy get back?"

"You want to come to my room? And talk?" she was getting annoyed, "After weeks of silent treatment and avoiding me at all costs if we aren't hunting, you wanna talk?"

"Yeah, come on. What room are you staying in?"

River took a deep breath, "113."

"Alright, see you soon." Dean ended the call. River quickly got dressed in pair of yoga pants and a loose fitting t-shirt and waited for Dean to show up. She didn't have to wait long as there was a quick knock at the door less than half an hour later.


	26. Chapter 26

Ch 26

River checked the peep hole and saw Dean standing in front of it smiling. She turned the upper deadbolt and then paused at the chain. "River?" came Dean's voice from the other side of the door.

"Just a minute," she called, she ran to her bed and searched under her pillow grabbing her silver dagger and pistol. Feeling better she opened the door and peeked out at Dean through the crack. "Humor me," she said handing him the knife.

He smirked and grabbed it, "Better safe than sorry." She smiled and closed the door to unlatch the chain.

She opened the door for him and stood aside as he strolled in. River locked the door after him and stood with her arms wrapped around herself. "You want this back?" Dean asked holding out the knife. River stepped forward and grabbed the knife setting it and her gun next to her phone on the table.

"You wanted to talk?" she asked.

"Hmm…oh yeah," Dean had started pacing around the room, glancing down into her open duffle bag at the foot of the bed. Looking at his reflection in the mirror over the dresser he smiled at River. He walked back to where she still stood next to the table and reached out his hand and faintly traced his fingers up her arm, "I missed you." Goosebumps broke out over her skin and she tried to suppress the shiver Dean's touch caused. She swallowed thickly. "Damn it," she thought to herself. One touch and she was turning to putty.

"I didn't go anywhere. I don't want to go anywhere," she looked up into green eyes and smiled.

"You're going to hell and you won't lift a finger to stop it. Talk about low self esteem," Deans double chuckled softly before continuing, "I mean it's not really a life worth saving now is it? You got nothing outside of Sam, even River knows she'd always be second fiddle to him, expendable and replaceable."

Dean turned away from himself muttering, "Wake up Dean, come on wake up."

"You are nothing. You're a mindless, obedient attack dog," the double said.

Dean shook his head, "That isn't true."

"Sure it is. Tell me something you want, something you dream…You car that's dads, your music dad's also, favorite leather jacket-dads. Do you even have an original thought?" Dean gapped his double trying to find something to say, "No. All thats all there is 'look out for Sammy', you can still hear him can't you, barking orders, yelling. Thats all there ever was. But Sam, he dotted on, Sam he loved."

"Ok, I mean it. Stop now, I'm getting mad," Dean spat at his double, fists clenched.

The other Dean continued, "Thats all you are, someone to follow orders, a good little soldier, a blunt instrument and nothing else. Your own father didn't care whether you lived or died, so why the hell should you?"

Dean snapped, screaming "You son of a bitch!" as he used all his strength to throw his double into the wall behind the desk. "My father was an obsessed bastard!" he kicked the other Dean savagely in the chest and followed with a punch to his face. "All that crap he dumped on me about protecting Sam! That was his crap, he was the one who couldn't protect his family!" he yelled at his double, grabbing the sawed off shotgun and shoving it into his neck to hold him still. "He let mom die. He wasn't there for Sam! I always was! It wasn't fair! I didn't deserve what he put on me and I don't deserve to go to Hell!" he yelled turning the shotgun on the other man and firing pointblank into his chest. Dean's twin was thrown backwards by the force of the shot, his chest exploding into an ugly gapping hole. Dean's shoulders slumped and he took a shaky breath looking at himself bleeding out on the desk.

The doubles body shook and then sat up, eyes gleaming black, "You can't escape me Dean! You're gonna die and this-this is what you're gonna become!" Dean took shuddering breaths, hands fumbled for the shotgun. The next moment he was jarred awake and found himself in the front seat of Baby looking at his younger brother, both men sweating and breathing heavily but alive and none the worse for wear.

Dean leaned down and faintly brushed his lips against Rivers. She moaned lowly and reached up to grab his shirt and pull him closer. He groaned and grabbed her hips, fingers pressing almost painfully as he ground his hips and the growing bulge in his jeans into her. River broke the kiss, dizzy from the contact and slightly short of breath. Her heart and mind raced, she faintly brushed her fingers against her lips. She shook her head as if to help clear it but couldn't shake the feeling of unease that was growing. "You ok, sweetheart?" Dean asked, taking her chin in his hand.

He smiled again and River nodded, "I think I'm just…I'm exhausted. It's been a long couple of days." Her voice shook slightly and she took a half step away from Dean, turning towards the table. She ran her hands through her hair and tried to clear her mind again when her phone rang.

"Shit I've got like five missed calls from Bobby and River. They're gonna kick our ass," Dean said turning his cellphone back on.

Sam laughed, "All she sent me were a bunch of angry faces." Dean called Rivers phone and listened to it ring. "She's not answering of course," he muttered.

River moved to pick up the phone but Dean was faster. He grabbed the edge of the table and flipped the whole thing over causing River to jump away from him. She backed away towards the door but never let her focus leave Dean. "Did you really think that thing with the knife would work?" he asked, peeling the extra layer of skin off his hand. "I know you already figured me out, shouldn't have kissed you so soon I guess. But its been too long, Red." The shapeshifter smiled, letting his inner eye lids blink and obscure Dean's green irises. "I picked this face out just for you. Its all you've been thinking about for months." River tried to dive for her duffle bag but the shifter was faster and caught her by her hair, yanking her up and towards him. "Did you think I wouldn't catch you eventually?" he grabbed River around the neck and raised her off the floor. She struggled against his grip, hands scratching at the fingers wrapped around her throat and legs kicking out. Dean, not Dean! her mind screamed, laughed and then threw her into the mirror over the dresser. She crashed into it causing the glass to shatter and cut her back in several places, she landed on the dresser and then rolled off onto the hard ground. She struggled to her feet as more glass shards cut her palms and the soles of her feet.

The shifter kicked River in the stomach, sending her skidding several feet across the room. She curled in a ball and took shaky breaths, "Fuck you!" The shifter laughed Dean's laugh and tilted it's head in a very Dean like way, watching when she struggled to stand again.

"Where do think I should leave you when we're all done here? Maybe in the backseat of that muscle car where you fucked him?" Dean, not Dean!, sneered. She got her feet under her and stood to face her attacker.

"Take his fucking face off, asshole!" River yelled at the shifter.

He laughed again, "No, I like this one. Think I'm gonna keep it for a while."

Her phone rang again and she glanced towards the sound, seeing her gun laying several feet away next to it. She dove for the gun, just wrapping her left hand around it when the shifters foot came crashing down on top. The pain was exquisite and immediate as she heard the dry crunch of bones being crushed. She screamed in agony pulling her hand to her chest trying to scramble backwards from the looming body of the shifter. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her towards him. "No!" she yelled kicking out with her free leg. She kicked him in the knee causing him to stagger, instead of dropping her ankle though he pounced on top of her.

He straddled her waist pinning her body underneath him, "God your pathetic. Even now all your thinking of is him. He isn't coming, River. You're not getting away this time." Without warning he punched her in the face causing her head to knock back into the hard floor. She tasted warm, salty blood as it dripped from her nose. "I'm gonna enjoy this you murdering bitch," he cruelly smiled down at River.

She made a contemptuous laugh, "I'm the murderer? What about Lucas and his parents? Or Corey? Or the other families you and those little fucking monsters slaughtered?" He slammed his fist into the side of her face again and then wrapped Dean's hands around her throat. River made a strangled cry, scratching at the hands wrapped around her throat and bucking her hips desperately trying to throw him off. The fingers tightened as her struggles increased, black spots appearing in her vision. Her ability to fight was decreasing as she could not draw a breath in; before her consciousness faded she raked her fingernails across Dean, not Dean's face pulling away a sticky piece of flesh.

"So did you see anything while you were poking around in my head?" Dean asked as he and Sam walked back into the motel.

"No, Jeremy kept us separated after the thing with River. I was just trying not to die. Still can't believe I got that thing with his dad to work…" Sam said heading for the elevator.

"I think I'm gonna go check on River," Dean told him.

"She didn't even tell you what room she's in," Sam called stepping into the elevator. Dean stopped and turned towards the front desk where a middle aged man with greasy hair sat flipping through a porn magazine.

"Excuse me," Dean attempted to get the mans attention. The guy held up a finger as he continued to stare at the magazine. Dean leaned forward over the desk and pushed the magazine away, "My girlfriend got pissed at me and booked another room. I need to know where she's at."

The guy looked up at Dean, narrowing his eyes "Sorry, pal. But I can't give you that info." He pulled the magazine back and did his best to ignore Dean's glare. Dean sighed and pulled his wallet out grabbed a couple of $20's and placed them onto of the magazine, "Her names Leia Organa. I need her room number."

The guy took the money and tucked into his pocket before typing in the name into his ancient computer, "She's in room 113, Han." Dean nodded and headed down the hallway towards River's room.

River felt a dull tugging sensation at her lower body, her head throbbed and her left hand was fiery ball of pain that shot waves up to her shoulder. "You wakin' up, sweetheart?" Deans voice crooned softly in her ear. Rivers eyes shot open and saw Dean leaning over her, green eyes crinkled at the edges. Then he blinked and the inner set of yellow eyes became visible. River tried to scream but it was muffled by the duct tape covering her mouth. Her wrists were also bound behind her, her left hand throbbing with the slightest change in her position. The shifter grabbed her shirt and tore it down the middle, exposing her breasts before he pinched one painfully. River screamed again through the tape and tried to buck him off. "This is new," he laughed, tracing a finger down the jagged scar that ran down her abdomen. He stripped his shirt off and forced her knees open, sliding between them.

River kicked her legs wildly and was able to connect with his jaw, knocking the shifter back. He growled at her and climbed back between her legs, placing his hands on her shoulders and pressing her down into on top of her mangled hand. "That wasn't very nice," he hissed, slapping her full force across the face. The slap stung causing tears to flow unchecked from her eyes. He sat up again and grabbed at the thin fabric of her underwear ripping one side of it. She screamed something but it was obscured by the duck tape. "What was that?" Dean leaned down to her mockingly as he ripped the other side of her underwear. River screamed it again, tears and sweat dripping down her face, she was able to work one corner of the tape loose. The shifter sat up on his haunches and pulled his belt off slowly letting it drop next to River's head.

There was a quick knock at the door, "River? You awake? Open up." Deans voice called out from the other side. River screamed as loud as she could through the duct tape, hearing Dean jiggle the doorknob. She took a deep hitching breath through her nose and tried to scream again. The shapeshifter wrapped his hands around her throat and tightened them, squeezing her windpipe. A loud crashing sound came from the front door as Dean kicked it in, immediately taking in the scene. River lay on her back on the floor at the foot of the bed, a half dressed man leaning over her choking her. "Get off of her, you son of a bitch!" Dean pulled his gun out and fired two shots into the mans back. The shapeshifters blood splattered onto River's face, his grip loosened as he drew himself up. A third shot rang out and a hole appeared at the top of Dean's forehead. His body fell forward pinning River beneath him. She squeezed her eyes shut and started screaming again trying to throw the heavy body off of her.

"River, River stop! Your ok, baby, you're ok," Dean ran to her side and threw the body of her. "Oh fuck," he muttered disgustedly staring down at his own face. River opened her eyes as Dean helped her sit up, he pulled the silver tape off in a quick motion.

"Ow, fuck. My hand Dean, my hand please," she leaned forward taking hitching breaths as Dean cut the tape that was binding her wrists.

"Oh Jesus, River, Jesus what did it do? Are you ok?" Deans fingers gently probed her swollen face.

"I…I'm ok. Oh god we have to go, someones probably already called the cops," she pulled her broken hand to her chest and Dean helped her stand. She used her ruined shirt to quickly wipe most of the blood of her face and chest as she staggered to her bag.

"Sammy, hey man, pack up our shit and call Bobby. We gotta go now!" Dean called his younger brother, while pulling a sheet off the bed. River quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and maneuvered her throbbing hand into a loose t-shirt and slid her feet into her boots. Within five minutes Sam and a dazed looking Bobby appeared at River's doorway.

"Holy shit," Sam muttered, watching as Dean just finished wrapping up the dead body of the shifter and River was limping towards him, her duffle bag slung over her good arm. "What…what the fuck happened?" he asked taking the bag from River, she scanned the room and quickly grabbed her knife, phone and gun shoving them into the bag.

Dean hefted the dead body over his shoulder and walked out of the room, quickly checking the hallway. "Back exit," River tapped his shoulder and pointed down the hallway. Sam and Bobby exchanged shocked looks and then followed them, "Dean, Dean we can't leave! I couldn't find the damn Colt!" Sam yelled.

Dean paused and turned back towards his brother, "What…" he said, adjusting the shifters body on his shoulder, "Bela, Bela took the Colt. God damn it!" He dumped the body onto the ground and popped the Impala's trunk. "We deal with this," he said kicking the body, "And then we deal with Bela." He and Sam shoved the body in the trunk, slamming the lid. "Follow me, Bobby. We found a good place to dump a body earlier."


	27. Chapter 27

Ch 27

*Authors note: This chapter contains a brief cross over with a character named Levi Stoltzfus from the Levi Stoltfus book series by Brian Keene. If you are unfamiliar with Brian Keene I humbly suggest you pick up some or all of his books. They are awesome. I love the character of Levi and just see him fitting so perfectly into the SPN universe*

The Impala peeled out of the parking lot followed by Bobby's rusty Chevy. They sped down the deserted streets of pre-dawn Pittsburgh missing the blaring sounds of police sirens rushing towards the motel. River sat in the front seat scrunched between the Winchesters cradling her broken hand next her chest and shivering. "You ok?" Dean asked.

"Yeah I'm just cold, freezing," she said teeth chattering. Dean reached over and turned the heat up.

Sam held his hand against her forehead. "River, you're covered in sweat. I think your in shock," he told her.

"No I'm ok…I'm ok…I'm ok," she repeated starting to rock back and forth slightly in the seat. Her face crumpled and she started crying, "I let it in my room. I tried that stupid fucking knife thing like it would actually work. Of course he knew I'd do that," she took a hitching breath, "He had an extra…extra layer of skin, he peeled it off…"

"River, it's not your fault. We got him. It's over," Dean told her, placing his hand delicately on her knee.

She squeezed his hand, "He said you weren't coming. He was gonna leave me in the backseat when he was done…," River closed her eyes, jaws clenching as she got her breathing and emotions under control, "I'm so fucking stupid."

"What he do to your hand?" Sam asked taking it gingerly in his own and inspecting it. Her hand was an ugly purple color and swollen almost twice its normal size.

"He stomped on it when I went for my gun," River tried to wiggle her fingers, "You got big feet Winchester." Dean glanced at her sideways as he pulled the Impala off the road and into a wooded area. He and Sam pulled the sheet wrapped body out of the trunk, tossed it unceremoniously on the ground and proceeded to dig a shallow grave.

River leaned against the Impala taking sips out of Bobby's flask as he cleaned the small cuts on her face. "That's deep enough," Dean declared stepping out of the grave.

"Wait," River called just as Dean put a boot on the body preparing to kick into the hole. She kneeled next to the covered corpse and peeled the sheet away. She stared down at the mottled face of Dean for a moment before slamming her booted heel down again and again obliterating what remained of the shifters skull. She pulled her boot out of the gory mess with a squelching sound.

"Feel better?" Dean asked rolling the body into the grave.

"A little bit. Who's got the lighter fluid?" she said smiling at Dean, "Guess I owe you two now."

Bobby stepped away to make a phone call to friend in York County that he thought could help with River's hand. The three hunters went back to lean on their black metal couch passing the flask between them watching the shifters body turn to ash. "So, I've been thinking," Dean said rubbing his hand over his stubbled chin, "I uh…I don't want die. I don't want to go to Hell. I want to find a way out." Sam's jaw tightened, eyes shining with unshed tears and nodded not trusting himself to speak.

River wrapped her good hand in Deans and squeezed, "We need the Colt. We need to find that bitch, Bela."

"Alright, Levi's home. Says he'll take a look at your hand and see what he can do," Bobby ambled back towards the younger hunters.

The caravan sped towards York County and the home of the ex-Amish healer named Levi Stolzfus. "Bobby Singer! It's been too long friend, too long!" a fortyish looking man with a full beard and a wide brimmed straw hat called as the hunters climbed out of their respective cars.

Bobby strode to the man and grasped him in tight hug, "Levi thank you for seein' us. Hate to be a bother but ain't exactly in a position to be going to a hospital right now." River stood between Dean and Sam surveying the quiet neighborhood. Levi's house was a small one story home with a well manicured garden enclosed by a fence. A dog lay lazily on the porch and a horse was grazing in the side yard.

" You must be Sam, Dean and River-the lady with broken hand." The three hunters smiled uneasily at the other man.

"So you a vet or something?" River asked, cradling her throbbing hand.

"No, but I am a healer of sorts," Levi bowed his head slightly.

"Levi here is the best damn Pow-Wow practitioner I've ever seen," Bobby said clapping the man on the back.

River's face lit up, "Pow-Wow! Hot Damn, Levi! You don't mind if I pick your brain for a while." She said reaching forward with her good hand to shake his.

"Not at all, now come inside and I'll see what I can do for you." He turned and walked back up the path to his small home.

"Uh. Pow-Wow?" Dean asked.

"It's an ancient magic, taking its roots from Native American, Germanic, Dutch and Judeo-Christian teachings," Sam told him, "It's white magic, Dean, the good kind."

"Well thank you Encyclopedia Britannica," Dean replied. "So, Levi, you're a Hunter?"

"Not exactly, Dean. I have on many an occasion fought against the darkness and the monsters that are born from it. But I wouldn't call myself a hunter, I use no weapons except the knowledge of my forefathers and my love and faith in god," Levi answered showing them into his sitting room. Dean raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Levi's home was an eclectic mishmash of occultism, spiritualism and country living. Heaps of books, scrolls, jars of herbs and ingredients littered every available space. Most of his furniture was obviously hand made but in his living room he had a small TV, a lap top and a phone.

"I thought the Amish weren't allowed to use electricity," Dean said.

"I'm not exactly Amish anymore either. Now if you'll give me a few moments to set up in here," he said walking into a foyer with a large intricately carved table, "River follow me please." She turned and followed Levi as did Dean. "She is perfectly safe with me," Levi said smiling amiably at Dean.

"I'd just like to stay close if it's all the same to you," he replied.

Levi nodded and pointed to a chair in the corner. "River you will need to lay here on the alter, I'll give you an injection of some pain medicine before we get started."

"What are you giving me? I've got this aversion to being drugged," River said as she swung herself onto the table.

"I'm afraid all I've got is ketamine and it will be a very small dose, just enough to make it tolerable while I mend your hand."

"Special-K, the horse tranquilizer. This sounds like its gonna be a lot of fun" River fidgeted nervously on the table.

"I'll be right here, darlin'" Dean came to stand by the table, looking down at River as she lay on her back. She tilted her head and looked into the sitting room where Sam and Bobby waited. Levi turned to prepare the injection as River grabbed Dean's hand.

"So, Levi what do you know about demon contracts?" River asked.

He turned back towards her with a syringe of pale white fluid, he cleansed her arm with alcohol, "A fair amount I surmise." He said injecting the medicine.

"We would be grateful for any information you can give us, books, spells, whatever," Rivers eyes fluttered as the narcotic took effect, "Anything on hellhounds too…and demons." Her eyes closed and her expression relaxed as she fell into a blissful haze.

"Now, I will pray and then attempt to set her bones," Levi nodded to Dean. Dean nodded his head and let the man begin his Pow-Wow. Levi stood with bowed head and murmured a prayer, then he lit a bundle of dried herbs and brushed the smoke in the four corners of the room and over River. When he was done blessing the room he sat down and began his work on mending her bones. There was an occasional crunch and grinding as Levi's magic readjusted the fractured bones in River's hands and fingers. When the bones stopped moving Levi took a pant brush and an oily red paint and drew symbols all over River's hand and arm. "She must leave these in place until tomorrow morning. When she wakes up I'll put her arm in a sling and by the day after tomorrow her hand and most of the bruises on her face and neck should be healed. Let her rest, I'll see if I can gather some books on the topics she requested."

"Up and at 'em, sweetheart. We gotta ping on Bela's cell and we gotta catch up to her," Dean nudged River's sleeping form. They had let her sleep for another hour while Levi brewed then coffee and gathered a large pile of occult books and spells for them to read through. River sat up groggily so Levi could tie the sling around her arm. Dean reached around her hips and guided her off the alter. Her legs were jelly and she begin to crumple to the floor before Dean caught her.

"Dean, you let him cut my legs off!" she cried as Dean struggled to help her stand, "How am I going to dance at our wedding now?"

"You are high as a kite, princess." Dean retorted as he gave up trying to help River walk and instead scooped her up into his arms.

"Thank you again Levi. These books are tremendous. We'll make sure to get them back to you in one piece," Sam shook Levi's hand.

Dean had River standing with her back pressed into the Impala, his knee between her legs and one strong arm propping her up as he used his free hand to open the car door. River smiled at him and ran her hand along his jaw line, "I love you, Dean."

Dean pulled the door open and glanced at her, "You're high." He muttered as he helped River scoot into the backseat of Baby. Dean gave Levi and Bobby a wave as he revved the Impalas engine and drove away.

River sat in the backseat, head lolling to the side and humming quietly to herself. "Hey, Sam, did you ever play Dungeon's and Dragons?" she asked suddenly, squinting her eyes and trying to focus on the back of Sam's head.

Dean snorted laughter and Sam turned to face River. "Yeah I did actually."

"I knew it. I was the Dungeon Master my of high school D and D club," River said, head now lolling to the other side.

Dean sniggered again, "Oh man, this is better than when you had your wisdom teeth pulled and I had you believing aliens were invading."

"Until…until I lost my virginity to a Mage named Brad. Brad! Can you believe that? If I could go back in time I would tell 16 year old me to never let a guy named Brad fuck me," River mumbled eyes drifting closed, "He told everyone in our club and posted it on MySpace. My aunt made me go on home study so I would stop "slutting around," she made over exaggerated finger quotations. "I bet Dean had a MySpace…" Sam hunched over in the front seat trying to silence his giggling.

Dean glared at him and then looked at River's reflection in the rearview mirror, "How about you take a nap, sweetheart and quit talking?" River nodded in agreement and slid down to find a comfortable position on the backseat, "I love you guys. You're my best friends."


	28. Chapter 28

Ch 28

River bolted awake, sitting up stiffly in the backseat of the Impala, groaning and adjusting her aching muscles. She tried to run her hands through her hair but found her left arm still tied in a sling. She took the sling off and inspected her hand, the symbols Levi had painted remained on her skin and she could flex and bend her fingers with minimal pain. She sat forward inspecting her face in the rearview mirror the bruising on her face and neck was also gone. Her hair however was a frizzy, dirty mess and she still wore the same clothes she had thrown on when they made their escape from Pittsburg. The Winchesters were glaringly absent from their stations in the front seat. She checked out the window and found the car to be parked in an alley. She slid over and opened the passenger door a few inches just to have it slammed shut causing her to yelp in surprise. Dean and Sam slid into the front seat a second later with Dean calling "Five-oh, Five-oh," their code word for the police. The three hunters hunkered down in the seats and waited for the sirens to pass.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Dean said raising up.

River smiled, "Where the hell are we?"

"Raliegh," came Sam's answer.

"Oh, when did we get to North Carolina?" River asked as Dean slowly and nonchalantly pulled the Impala out of the alley and back into traffic.

"Yesterday, had a track on Bela's phone but she's gone already. So back to square friggin' one," Dean said annoyed.

River nodded her head, "I've been asleep the whole time?" The brothers nodded their affirmative. "It was all real then? The shifter's gone, the Colt is gone, Dean doesn't want to die anymore, and we met a Pow-Wow healer that fixed my hand." They nodded again. "Well, ok then…You know, I really, really need a shower," She smiled at Dean's reflection in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah ,we all do. Gonna get out of the city and we'll find a place."

River nodded, "I didn't talk in my sleep did I?"

"No." the brothers answered quickly and in unison.

They pulled into a chintzy road stop motel, the Day Dreamz Inn, a few hours later. Sam booked them two rooms for the night as River and Dean grabbed their essentials out of the trunk. Sam tossed River her room key and she glanced quickly at Dean as he and Sam unlocked their own room. "Dinner in an hour?" Dean asked.

"Can we eat in?" she countered.

"Yeah, we'll bring something over."

River walked into her room, locked the door behind her and proceeded to strip her filthy clothes off on her way to the shower. She just finished putting on a clean pair of jeans and a shirt when the boys knocked on her door. "Look, Dean I just don't think the best idea is to drive around aimlessly hoping we run into Bela," Sam said barging into the room and soon as River opened the door. He set a couple pizza boxes down on the table followed by Dean who was carrying a case of beer and a bottle of whiskey.

"I guess we're planning on a long night," River said smiled looking at the food and booze.

"We alway drive around aimlessly and eventually we wind up exactly where we need to," Dean said opening a bottle of beer and handing it to River. She grabbed it and took a sip watching as the brothers continued to bicker while starting to devour the pizza.

"I can try calling someone," River told them.

The brothers apparently didn't hear her since they continued to argue about which coast they thought Bela would head to, "She'd go West, Sammy. Why else was she already in North Carolina?"

"I know someone who might be able to find Bela," she repeated. Sam glanced at her but continued to argue with his older brother. She sighed and grabbed her phone and scrolled through the contacts.

"Hi-ya, Jellybean," River said smiling when the call connected.

The brothers stopped arguing and looked at River, "Jellybean?" Dean said.

"Strawberry Shortcake, to what do I owe the pleasure?" a honey dipped voice answered.

"I uh…have a favor to ask," she said glancing at the Winchesters, who were still staring at her.

"Who are you talking to?" Dean mouthed, she held up a finger to silence him.

"For you, my little lemon drop, anything."

"I need to find someone. She stole something from a friend and I need it back," River said starting to pace.

"You need it or these two chuckleheads need it?" The trickster appeared in River's room causing Dean and Sam to curse and River to nearly drop her beer. The handsome blonde man looked at the three hunters.

"What the fuck, River?" Dean yelled throwing his arms up.

River smiled, "Hi, Loki. It's for me, please. Take me somewhere, anywhere." Dean took a step towards the trickster who snapped his finger and froze Dean in place.

"You like punk music, right?" his amber eyes shone brightly as he smiled at River.

She nodded her head and looked at Dean and Sam, "Be back soon." The trickster snapped his fingers again and he and River where gone and Dean could move.

"Son of a bitch, where'd she go?"

"I don't know, man. You think he'll help her find Bela?" Sam asked, sitting down.

"No! He'll probably shove her in some weird alternate reality game show or something." Dean yelled. There was another snap and River and Loki were back, Loki had her leaning backwards as he traced his hand up the short skirt she now wore. He murmured something in her ear and she laughed, dropping an empty glass on the floor and letting her head hang back. She opened her eyes and saw the upside down vision of Dean and Sam standing over her.

"Oh, shit," she muttered.

"Hi boys!" Loki called, "I'll be right back." Then the trickster was gone and River landed on her ass on the floor with an "Oomph." The brothers moved in tandem to help River stand.

"I got it," she mumbled as they pulled her to her feet.

"Are you drunk?" Sam asked as she swayed slightly.

"What? Pfft…No" she shook her head and almost lost her balance, "Maybe a little. My rum and coke just kept refilling itself."

"What are you wearing?" Dean asked taking in her change of clothes.

She glanced down at her new clothes, a black denim mini skirt, Black Flag shirt and combat boots, "Clothes, Dean, I'm wearing clothes."

"Where'd you go?" Sam asked, a worried look on his face.

"Took me to this club in Berlin. They've always got great bands playing." She said straightening her short skirt. "He's looking for Bela now, he'll be back in a minute." The next moment River was back in Loki's arms, his hand continuing its previous trail under her skirt. She grabbed his wrist, "Handsy McGee, did you find Bela?"

"Of course I did, tootsie pop, she's in Monument Colorado at the Silverton. She booked the room for five days," he lowered his head and took River's lips in a sweet kiss. He looked up and winked at Dean before disappearing and dropping River back on her ass.

"Son of a bitch," she said standing back up. "He took my fucking underwear again." She grumbled turning to face the brothers, her face slightly flushed. "Well, I'll get my stuff. Let's go to Colorado." She waived them towards the door.

"Kind of still thinks he's a douche." Sam said opening the door.

Deans face was an unreadable mask as he turned stiffly to follow Sam out the door. "I just need a minute," Dean told his younger brother shutting the door and turning to face River.

"You know, Dean, I don't need any shit right now." She said crossing her hands over her chest. "We needed to find Bella." Before she could react Dean grabbed her and spun her so that her back was now pressed into the door. He bent down and devoured her lips with his own, growling lowly as he forced his tongue in her mouth. She moaned and wrapped her hands in his flannel shirt pulling him closer. Their kiss was needy, weeks of pent up frustration and yearning playing out between their lips, teeth and tongues. Dean reached down and trailed his hand up her inner thigh until he reached her naked, wet center. "Oh god," she moaned into his mouth hips bucking as he his fingers rubbed her clit before pushing inside of her.

"You this wet for him?" he growled, pumping his fingers. Her breaths shallow, hips following the movements of his fingers.

"N-no. Fuck." Her breath caught in her throat when Deans thumb circled her clit again. "It's For you…I want you." River moaned as Dean withdrew his fingers, licking them off as he stared into her eyes. She sighed as he moved his jean clad knee between her legs and hiked up her tight skirt, hands moving to her ass. She ground down on his knee shivering at the friction as her hands quickly undid the buttons of his flannel shirt pushing it off him and grabbing at the undershirt. He reached behind and pulled it over his head, River mimicking his movement and removing her own shirt.

"Say it again," Dean told her, pulling his hard cock out and running his hand along his length.

"I want you," she repeated. He picked her up by her ass, her legs wrapping around his hips and back still pressed into the door as he pushed into her in one smooth thrust. River knew her back would be covered in bruises as would her hips where Dean's fingers pressed in but she didn't care. The sinful cry of pleasure that escaped her lips egged him on and he started pounding into her.

"Only me." He growled into her ear.

"Oh fuck, Dean, only you!" she cried.

"You're my girl," he told her. The frantic pace of his hips slamming into her sending them both closer to the edge.

"I'm your girl!" she cried as her orgasm tore through her, followed almost immediately by Dean as he groaned her name into her neck. Dean held her up for several minutes while they both took long shuddering breaths before he gently set her back on the ground. She leaned into the door, not trusting her legs. He leaned down and gently kissed her again, pressing his forehead to hers when he finished. "I love you, Dean," River looked into his green eyes and smiled.

"I know," he answered in his best Han Solo impersonation.

She laughed, "Lets go kill that bitch and get your gun back."


	29. Chapter 29

Ch 29

The three hunters barreled towards Monument, Colorado knowing they had a limited window to try and catch Bela before she disappeared again. Dean and Sam in the front seat bickering about something mundane to help pass the time and River spread out in the backseat pouring over Levi's books. The road was nearly pitch black and empty of all other cars the only light coming from Baby's headlights and River's small book light.

"Why couldn't you just ask that asshat to grab the Colt for us?" Dean grumbled, he had asked the same question in a half dozen different ways over the last few hours.

River looked up and glanced at the reflection of Dean's green eyes, "Because he doesn't work like that. I'm lucky he helped us at all."

"Well, you two seemed pretty close…" he muttered.

River laughed, "You still miffed, hot stuff? Get over it, we're just friends. He was trying to rile you up… Seems like it worked 'cause you fuck like a wild animal when you're jealous."

"Oh, god really guys?" Sam moaned disgustedly.

River turned back to the books, "Did you know 'Devils shoelace' can keep hellhounds at bay? Thats going on the list of good things to know," She said scratching a note in her journal.

"Friends? You met him like once. I wouldn't count that as a friend." Dean huffed. Sam rolled his eyes at his brothers temper tantrum.

"I never said I only met him once. I only mentioned the first time. We've gone out a whole bunch of times since then." The Impala sped past a sign that read "Welcome To Colorado!".

"What? When have you had time to go out anywhere?" Dean asked as Sam read off the next set of directions to get to Bela's hotel.

"Well, Dean, I've had a lot of spare time on my hands lately. I call Loki, he takes me out, we have a good time, he brings me back before sunrise…he seems lonely."

"Lonely? You know he killed me over a hundred times," Dean said.

"Dude, you don't even remember any of it," Sam muttered.

"This spell can be used to track a demon oh but we need a name. I'm putting it on the list anyways," River mumbled to herself. Dean drove the Impala up a long, winding road that led the Silverton Hotel and parked the car off to the side of the road. The hunters found a service entrance at the side of the hotel and entered quickly trying not to garner anyones attention.

They entered Bela's suite silently, Dean taking point, River and Sam fanning out to quickly check the rest of the room. "God damn it!" River muttered. The room was empty, the bed still unmade, spare wigs and clothes left in the dresser drawers. The phone rang, the three glanced at each other before Dean answered it.

"Hello?" he said.

"Why, Dean, such a nice surprise. Sorry I had to run, important business to attend to," Bela said jovially.

"Listen, bitch. I want the god damn Colt back. A lot of people, innocent people are gonna die if you do this" Dean yelled into the phone.

"And what exactly do you think I'm going to do?"

"Sell the Colt to the highest bidder." he sneered.

"You know nothing about me, Dean. I wish we had more time for snappy banter. But you're about to be very occupied. Send River my regards," she said ending the call. Dean dropped the phone, "Shit." The three turned to the door just as it was being kicked in, multiple gun wielding police officers swarmed in all yelling some form off, "Drop your weapons", "on your knees", and one yelled at River "Stop resisting" as he body slammed her into a wall. Dean tried to yell but a gun was shoved in his face, Sam was on his knees, fingers laced behind his head and River was pinned on her stomach with her wrists now cuffed behind her back and blood slowly trickling out of her nose.

"Well, boys, long time no see," a young, bald African- American FBI agent strolled into the room.

"Agent Henriksen, right. How's it going'?" Dean quipped from his position on the floor next to River and Sam. The FBI agent looked down at the three hunters and smiled. The police officers shackled the Winchesters together and had them crab walk to the waiting paddy wagon, River hung limply and made two officers basically drag her. Two armed officers climbed in the back of the van and each had a loaded shotgun pointed at the hunters.

"You ok?" Dean asked as River wiped her face off with her shirt.

"Just peachy, Winchester," she mumbled.

"Shut your pie holes," The cop closest to her yelled. She rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"Where are all of your men? I asked for everyone on deck, Sheriff!" Agent Henriksen paced in the small room. Four officers, the Sheriff and a young file clerk sat at their desks.

"This is everyone, including the ones you took on your raid. Look, we're a small town Agent. We aren't equipped to deal with something like this, three of the FBI's most wanted," the Sheriff was a middle aged nervous looking man. Henriksen stormed towards the holding cells where a lone drunk was sleeping off the previous nights bender.

"Get him out here. Put the woman in there and the other two over there," Henriksen barked at the young deputy that had followed him. The young man jumped and ran to unlock the cell, escorting the still drunk vagrant out of the station.

"Hey you can't let my prisoners just walk outta here !" the Sheriff called.

Agent Henriksen rounded on him, "I'll be the first to admit this isn't the best option but I had a tip and I had to move. Now I'm bringing in three of the most dangerous criminals I've ever hunted, think Hanibal Lecter, his half-wit baby brother and because it's my lucky day a serial killing psycho nurse. I'll do what I think is necessary to keep everyone safe."

Dean and Sam shuffled into the station, wrists handcuffed and ankles shackled together. River had again refused to walk and was being carried between two deputies be her armpits. The young file clerk, Nancy, sat nervously at her desk rubbing her crucifix and murmuring a prayer. She made a small scream when she saw River, having recognized her face from the news. "You're fine, Nancy. We really aren't the bad guys," River called over her shoulder as the three were taken to the holding cells. The deputies carrying River unceremoniously dropped her and slammed the cell door shut as Sam and Dean were led to the cell across from her.

River sat on the small bench in her cell and watched amusedly as Sam and Dean untangled their various chains and limbs and found a comfortable position to sit. "How are we gonna Houdini out of this?" Sam asked looking over at his older brother.

"I don't know, man. I'm thinkin'" Dean muttered.

"Yes, sir. I've got them. Sam and Dean Winchester, chained up and ready for supermax," Henriksen spoke to his supervising Agent.

"Listen here, Henriksen, I'm coming in for this one. No mistakes. I'll bring a chopper and we fly those two assholes out." Agent Groves said.

"And the woman? She's just as crazy as the brothers," Henriksen replied.

"I don't give two shits about their whore."

Henriksen hung up the phone and turned to the Sheriff, "There's a chopper coming, clear the parking lot." The Sheriff nodded and directed his deputies to follow the orders. Agent Henriksen returned to the hold area, hands on hips and a triumphant smile plastered on his face. "I never believed in fate but this…this is some cosmic karma, stars and planets aligning shit," he said turning to look at his three prisoners. "You know… them I get. Crazy daddy brainwashed those two psychos but you…I don't get. That little kid you carved up. There's a special place in hell for people like you." Henriksen turned to River.

She glanced up at him smiling slightly, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"How'd you three meet up anyways? Dating site for psychos?" he said looking at the brothers, "How's this work? You guys just pass her back and forth or do you have a schedule or something?"

"Oh no, Agent. I want them both at the same time. Takes a lot of stretching and maneuvering but we decided it's only weird if they make eye contact, I call it the Winchester sandwich." River replied. Sam and Dean gave Henriksen a chagrined smirk.

"Well, enjoy each others company while you can. I suspect you'll be going directly to solitary while you wait for the death penalty and you two…" he turned back to the brothers, "You'll never see each other again. I'll make sure they put you in a windowless box so small it's probably unconstitutional." The sounds of a helicopters whirling blades echoed from outside. Sam sat up a little from where he had been slouched over and glanced up at the small barred window. Henriksen smiled and stalked out to go meet his supervising agent.

"If you guys have a plan. I'd love to hear it," River called over to them.

Agent Groves strode into the small police station gripping a large manilla folder, packed with papers. Henriksen walked up to him, hand outstretched, "Agent Stephen Groves?" Groves glanced at his open hand and placed the folder in it. "What the hell is this?" Henriksen asked.

"Sorry, Viktor was it? The FBI didn't invent bureaucracy but we did perfect it. I need that paperwork done now. I'm going to go inspect our prisoners," Groves said turning and walking towards the holding cells.

"Well, would you look at this," Groves called casting his eyes between the two cells as he shut the sliding metal door. He walked to River's cell first, "You look like you need a cavity search," he smirked.

She tilted her head at him, "I'm all yours big boy."

"And you two," he said crossing over to the Winchesters cell. The brothers stood and came closer to the bars, "Sam and Dean Winchester. It's a pleasure. I've been waiting for you two to come out of hiding for some time." The brothers glanced at each other with eyebrows raised. Special Agent Groves raised a gun and pointed it through the bars, firing a quick shot before they had time to react and shooting Dean in the shoulder.

"Dean!" River screamed, throwing herself at the locked cell door. Dean stumbled back as Sam grabbed the gun from Groves. Dean trying to roll out of the way as the the agent fired several more wild shots. The Special Agents eyes turned pitch black causing Sam to take a startled breath. He recovered quickly and began murmuring the exorcism incantation.

"Sorry I've got to cut this short. It's gonna be a long night boys," the demon threw its head back screaming as a cloud of black smoke came rushing out of the agents mouth and flew into a air duct. The Agents lifeless body dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.

Two more deputies rushed in, guns drawn and yelling at Sam to drop the gun he was now holding. "He didn't shoot anyone ! Please help Dean! God Damn it!" River yelled, slamming her hands into the bars.

Sam was yelling at the officers at the same time and dropped the gun, "I didn't shoot anyone!" Dean sat up unsteadily and got on his knees next to his brother.

"Don't fucking shoot them you assholes!" River screamed again.

"We didn't shoot him! Check the body there's no blood," Sam said calmly, "He probably been dead for months." One of the deputies looked down at the body of Groves who did in fact look like he had been dead for some time. His face already a ghastly pale color and body rigid.

"What did you do to him!" Henriksen demanded.

"Nothing, he was possessed!" Dean yelled, trying to hold pressure on his bleeding shoulder.

"Get the chopper ready, we're getting these assholes out of here!" he barked at the other agent. The man stood and jogged out of the room, trying to reach someone on his radio but getting only static. The sheriffs deputies had guns trained on the three hunters and shifted nervously.

The other FBI agent ran outside to check the helicopter and nearly tripped over a body. Two sheriffs deputies lay on their backs in a pool of blood, throats slit in the parking lot. The helicopter sat motionless and the agent ran cautiously towards it. The pilot sat slumped over in the seat, his throat also slit. The agent picked up his radio with shaky hands "Vic, their dead. I think their all dead," the call was cut short as an explosion tore apart the helicopter and shook the police station. "What the hell was that?" the Sheriff shrieked running out of the holding cell, followed by two of his deputies.

The Sheriff and his remaining deputies frantically started loading weapons as Nancy, the young clerk tried the phones. "The line is dead? I can't get a call out and the radio is just static. The internet is down. Whats going on?" she cried.

Henriksen strode into the middle of the room, "This is a siege, We are under attack and you all need to keep your heads on straight if you want to make it out of this!"

"Sam, whats it look like?" River called as Sam helped Dean pull his jacket down to inspect the gun shot.

"I can't tell if it went all the way through. Keep pressure on it," Sam told his brother pushing his hand back into the wound. Just then the lights flickered and died, plunging the station into almost complete darkness.

"Shit," River pulled her small cot towards the wall and stood on her toes trying to look out the small window, "I think there's someone out there…"

"So what's the plan? Kill everyone in the station and bust you three out?" Henriksen reappeared in the holding area standing next to the Winchesters cell.

"What the hell are you talking about?" River said.

"It's not us you gotta worry about, Vic. Whoever, whatever is out there is not here to help us," Dean replied.

"You gotta believe us, let us out so we can help you," Sam pleaded.

"Let us out so we can save your asses," Dean added.

"Save us from what? Say demons, I dare you," Henriksen said annoyed and holding his gun. Dean scoffed and turned away from him.

"Before tonight is over, you're gonna apologize to them and then you're gonna thank them for saving your life Special Agent," River said as the agent walked away. "How's your shoulder, hot stuff?"

"It's awesome, princess. I'll live, you know if we get out of here alive," Dean said smiling at her. Then glanced towards the doorway where Nancy was watching them with large eyes.

Sam turned towards her also, "Oh. hey, hey there you ok?" She made a slight squeak and stepped back. "Please, please I just need a clean towel for my brothers shoulder," Sam pleaded with her. She turned away with out a word and came back a moment later taking hesitant steps towards the cell. She held out a towel for Sam who gently took it then grabbed her wrist, the young woman letting out a terrified scream and tried to pull away. A deputy ran in aiming a shotgun at Sam. Nancy struggled with him for a moment then was released and ran out of the room.

Sam and Dean held up their hands in surrender, "Try that again and I will shot all three of you!" he roared.

"Hey! I didn't grab her," River said as he swung the gun in her direction and backed out of the room. "Real nice. Smooth move…" River snarked.

"Yeah what the hell dude?" Dean said punching him in the arm. Sam said nothing but let a small crucifix dangle out of his closed fist.


	30. Chapter 30

Ch 30

"We're sitting ducks in here!" Dean grumbled slouching back down on the the small cot.

"Yeah, I know," Sam answered.

River paced as much as could with her tight shackles, "Would it kill them to bring us some snacks!" she yelled.

"That demon is till out there and there could be more. They could be possessing anyone," Sam said.

"They could just waltz right in here and take us out. It's like their coming right for us. Weird right?" Dean muttered.

"Yeah, they've never done that before."

"It's like you two have a contract out on you," River said, walking back to the bars and looking over at the brothers.

"Yeah. You think its because we're awesome?," Dean smiled elbowing his brother, "I think it's because we're awesome."

"Yeah, Dean, you two are just awesoming all over the place. So much awesome I can't hardly stand it," River said.

The sheriff walked nervously to River's cell door which he unlocked and swung open. River took a step back, eye brows and hands raised. The sheriff then walked over to the Winchesters cell and did the same thing. "Come on, you're free to go. Get the hell out," he said stepping back.

The brothers mimicked River's movement and stepped away from the door, "You know, I think this place is starting to grow on us. We'll stay right here," Dean said.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" Henriksen said walking behind the Sheriff.

"There's a SWAT station in Boulder, we're evacuating," the Sheriff mumbled. Henriksen said nothing as he pulled out his service pistol and shot the Sheriff in the body didn't have time to hit the floor before Dean and Sam dove towards the FBI agent as River tried knocking the gun out of his hand from behind. The boys grabbed Henriksen and dragged him towards the toilet. Sam had thrown the Crucifix in and blessed the water earlier, keeping it as an Ace up their sleeve. The demon possessing Henriksen shrieked in anger and pain as his face was shoved into the holy water. Sam started the exorcism as River stood guard waiting for the deputies she knew would come running in.

"It's too late…They're already coming, I already called them," The demon screamed.

Two deputies came charging in shotguns raised on the hunters, "No, no, no boys. You stop right there or I start taking out kneecaps," River yelled. The demon gave up and shot out of Henriksen's mouth with a bellow. The deputies and Nancy watched as the thick black smoke swirled above their heads before escaping. Viktor Henriksen took a shaky breath as Sam and Dean sat him back down on the cot.

"What…what the hell was that?" he asked.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Dean asked. Viktor shook his head, mouth moving but unable to form words. "Lemme guess, Special Agent. Black smoke surrounded you and flew down your throat?" Dean said.

The agent shook his head in an affirmative, "I…I shot the Sheriff."

Dean smiled, "But at least you didn't shoot the deputy."

River groaned, "Such a nerd, Winchester."

"I don't understand, I was fine five minutes ago," the agent stammered.

"Then you were possessed," Sam finished.

"So can you let us outta these cuffs now?" River quipped holding her wrists towards him.

Henriksen wiped a shaky hand across his sweaty forehead, "Officer Amici, unlock the prisoners."

"Ouch, babe," Dean grumbled as River finished cleaning the gun shot wound to his shoulder.

"I don't think the bullets still in there, looks like it went through," she said taping a dressing to the wound, "I'll stitch it up once we get outta here." She kissed his stubbled cheek.

"So were you possessed when you killed all those people?" Nancy asked rubbing her fingers around the crucifix Sam had returned.

A shadow crossed River's features as she turned to Nancy, "No. I didn't kill those people, they were my friends. It's a long story but just take my word that every monster you've ever been afraid of is real and out there. And a few people like us try and stop them from hurting innocent people like you."

Nancy nodded, "My parents always told my I was being too literal when I read the Bible, that the devil and demons were metaphors…guess I showed them."

"So how do we survive this?" Henriksen asked the hunters. Sam told the scared deputies and Nancy to gather supplies, salt, paint, weapons and ammo. River took the cans of spray paint and drew devils traps by the front and rear exits. Nancy and Officer Amici were tasked with salting the windows and any other possible entrance. While Dean and Sam made a break for Baby which was currently parked in impound to grab more gear. The wind suddenly picked up as the emergency lights surrounding the station flickered, Sam peaked over the open trunk of the car seeing a gusting, swirling cloud of black smoke flowing towards them.

"Dude, we gotta run," He grasped his brothers shoulder. Dean muttered a curse under his breath and grabbed a final bag out of the trunk before running back to the station. They slammed the door shut, just as the survivors inside had laid the last line of salt and River finished the final devil's trap.

"They're coming!" Dean hollered. The next moment the building shook as if struck by a tornado. What little light that had been seeping in from the parking lot was obscured by the swirling smoke. When the building stopped trembling and the smoke retreated the hunters double checked with the survivors. "Ok, you all need to put these on. It'll keep you from being possessed," Dean and River started handing out necklaces to the survivors.

The necklaces had the anti-possession charm, "I had them specially made my self." River said handing Nancy one, she glanced at it nervously then slid it over her head, "What about you guys?"

"We're good," Dean answered as he and Sam flashed their relatively new matching tattoos.

"I got one too, just take my word for it," River told Agent Henriksen smiling.

Dean took his bag of weapons and sat in the Sheriffs office loading shells into his shotgun as Henriksen paced. "So demons are real?" he said mostly to himself, "Shotgun shells filled with salt. You fight demons with condiments?"

Dean glanced at him and smiled, "FYI ghosts are real too."

"And shapeshifters," River added as she poked her head in, "We got company, hot stuff. You apologize yet?" she looked pointedly at Henriksen.

"I didn't know. My job is boring and frustrating. I can work three years on a case waiting for a single brace and then maybe I get the bad guy, save a few people. But this whole time there was something off in the dark, something bigger, badder…" Henriksen replied

"Well now you do. There's two paths in front of you now, go back to your boring, frustrating job or learn to fight what's in the dark," River told him, grabbing one of Dean's loaded shotguns off the table and exiting the room.

"You think you can beat whatever's out there?" Viktor asked Dean.

"Honestly, I think the world is gonna end bloody but that doesn't mean I don't think we should try and fight," he replied.

"You got nothin' else to go to home to but your brother, right?" Henrksen said as he finished loading salt filled shells into the shotgun.

"I don't got a real home, haven't had one since I was four. But yeah, I got my brother, I got her and I got my car and home is wherever they are. And to me it's worth fighting for."

Dean and Viktor grabbed their guns and went to the front door where River, Sam and Nancy were standing. "I know these people, it's like the whole town is out there," Nancy whispered. Indeed a group of 30-40 people had gathered outside the station, some were twitching spastically and others rolled their necks and shoulders, all had pitch black eyes. The sound of glass shattering rang out from the back of the station and the three hunters turned towards it with guns raised. Viktor also took a step forward but Dean raised his hand to stop him, "Stay with Nancy."

The hunters stalked silently down the hallway towards the sound of broken glass and found themselves in the break room, empty table and chairs, silent vending machines and a young, pretty blonde demon stuck in a devils trap. "Ruby?" Sam asked walking into the room.

"How do we kill her?" Henriksen asked.

"I thought we told you to stay put?" River grumbled at him, shot gun still raised on Ruby.

"We don't," Sam said putting his hand on the barrel of River's gun and forcing it down, "She's here to help." River rolled her eyes at Dean and turned to walk out of the small room.

"You gonna let me out, stretch?" Ruby asked Sam. He bent down and used his knife to scratch a thin line in the devils trap, freeing her.

"And they say chivalry is dead," she said patting Sam on the shoulder.

"How many are out there?" River asked Ruby as she and the others walked back into the main room.

"Thirty give or take the couple I shanked fighting my way in here."

"Great, thirty demons all coming for us. Who the hell sent them?" Dean demanded.

"You didn't tell Dean?" Ruby asked looking over at the younger Winchester.

"Didn't tell me what, Sam?" Dean asked walking towards his brother.

"Shit," River mumbled sitting on the edge of a desk and waiting for the inevitable argument that was brewing. She motioned for Nancy to get out of the line of fire and the skittish young woman sat down at her desk.

"There's a big new up and comer, real Rocky Balboa type," Ruby sneered at the older Winchester.

"Who is he?" Dean asked.

"Not he. Her- her name is Lilith and she's leading the faction thats warring with what remains of old Yellow- Eyes army," Ruby said smiling, "You know the army Sammy here was supposed to lead to victory down under. And seeing as though Sam is competition she really, really wants his intestines on a stick."

"You knew about this?" River asked quietly looking over at Sam. Sam remained silent his jaw tensing.

"Well, Sammy, did you? Is there anything else you haven't told me?" Dean said rounding on his brother.

"How about you two talk about this later? We need the Colt," Ruby demanded. The three hunters glanced at each other but said nothing. "Where the hell is the Colt!" Ruby yelled.

"It's gone. It got stolen," River said.

Ruby turned towards her, "I'm sorry, I think I have blood in my ears did you say you three worthless meat sacks let the Colt get grabbed out of your mutton chop hands." River looked down at her lap, nodding her head. Sam and Dean mimicked the movement. Ruby slid off the desk where she had been sitting and paced angrily, "That's fantastic! Great!…"

"Ruby…" Sam started.

"Shut up! I know one other way to get you out of here alive," she said turning back to face the room of survivors, "A spell. A spell that will vaporize every demon in a one mile radius- myself included."

"You would sacrifice yourself to save us?" River asked incredulous, "Whats the catch?"

"The spell is specific, calls for a blood sacrifice of someone with virtue."

"Hey, I got virtue. I got virtue up the wazoo!" Dean said standing and smiling widely.

"She means a virgin, hot stuff. Which you definitely ain't," River told him.

Dean scoffed, "A virgin. Well, Ruby I think we're gonna be shit outta luck on this one." River smiled tightly and tilted her head towards Nancy, hoping Dean got the hint.

His eyebrows shot up as the pieces connected, "What? You? No way. Never? Not even…not once?"

Nancy shifted uncomfortable under everyones stares, "What? It's a choice."

River stood next to the young woman, "It's alright Nancy. Fuck him…I mean not literally-unless you want to of course since it's probably our last night on earth…I'm not helping, sorry."

"So this spell? What do I have to do?" Nancy asked. "You lay still while I cut your heart out of your chest." The survivors all clamored around Nancy and Ruby.

"No, no way," Dean and River said at once.

"If I do this, it will save all those people, all my friends?" Nancy asked Ruby.

"It will blow the demons out of their vessels. So, if their bodies are ok then yes they will live."

"This isn't an option. We don't sacrifice people," Viktor yelled.

"We don't have a choice," Ruby told them.

"Your choice isn't a choice!" Dean yelled back.

"Sam, tell them. You understand. This is the only way." Sam remained silent as he glanced between Nancy and his brother.

"Sam, what the fuck dude!" River finally yelled.

"It's my choice," Nancy squeaked.

"Damn straight, cherry pie," Ruby sneered taking a step closer to her.

River aimed her shotgun at Ruby's head, "I dare you to take another step, bitch."

"Stop! Nobody sacrifice any virgins! Sam we need to talk, now!" Dean pulled his brother into the hallway. The two hunters walked away from the small group of survivors leaving River with her gun trained on the demon.

"You can't actually be considering holding down that sweet girl and letting that demon cut her heart out!" Dean said when they got far enough away from the others.

"I don't know. But there's thirty people out there and the rest of us in here that are all gonna die if we don't do something."

Dean rubbed his hand along his mouth, "If this is how you win wars. I don't want to fight anymore."

"You got a better idea?" Sam asked him.

Dean considered for a moment, "I got a plan, probably not a great plan but its something."

"Let's hear it," Sam answered.

"We let 'em all in and we fight, probably die being torn to bits, but we fight." Dean said, his brother considered him and then they discussed the finer points of the plan. They would have River use the stations PA system to record the exorcism incantation, Nancy and Officer Amici would sneak outside and as the demons flooded the building they would lie salt lines at the doors. Those that remained inside, Dean, Sam, Viktor and River, would fight as long as they could drawing the demons into the center of the building before playing the exorcism. Nancy, Henriksen and Officer Amici nodded weakly when Dean finished describing the plan.

"Well, boys. It's been nice. But I'm outta here," Ruby said walking towards the front door.

"What you're just gonna leave us?" Sam yelled.

"I was willing to kill myself for you, asshole. I'm not gonna stand by stand by and watch you lose. Now let me out." Sam wiped a line through the salt at the front door and Ruby forced her way into the crowd of waiting demons, her demon killing blade held out in front of her, "I'm leaving, anyone wanna get in my way?"

"Where the hell is River?" Dean asked looking at the other survivors.

"She ran off towards the bathroom a few minutes ago," Nancy said pointing down the hallway.

Dean jogged down the hallway, "River, you ok?" he called.

"I'm good, sexy," she called back from the break room. She sat on a table sipping a ginger ale she had managed to get out of the vending machine. "Sorry, hella of time to get hit with a stomach bug." Dean sat next to her and they shared what remained of the soda while he went over the plan with her. "Well, my favorite Klingon proverb says that 'Death is an experience best shared."

Dean laughed, "You're a Trekkie too?"

"Can't help it if I'm the total package, Winchester," she leaned her head on his shoulder and took his hand. "Let's go kill some demons."


	31. Chapter 31

Ch 31

"Sound off!" came Deans voice ringing down the silent hallways. A chorus of "Ready"'s and "Lets do this" echoed back. The Winchesters were stationed at the front and back entrance, River and Viktor in the main hallway with easy access to the intercom system and Nancy and Officer Amici were hiding waiting for the signal to run outside. The demons rushed in as soon as Sam and Dean flung the doors open. The sounds of snarling, screaming and shotgun blasts filled the station. The horde soon pushed Sam and Dean back to the main room, Nancy and Officer Amici running outside and immediately slamming the door shut again and laying salt lines. The demons not clawing for the Winchesters swarmed towards River and Viktor. They got separated in the throng of snarling bodies, Viktor being thrown into a wall. River shot the face off a petite soccer mom and blasted blindly into the group of swarming bodies until she reached the communications room. Slamming the door and diving towards the recorder she pressed the play button and her voice rang out over the stations emergency intercom. The exorcism began to work immediately, the demons trapped inside the building shaking and shrieking as the were forced out of their vessels. Pillars of black smoke shot out of the human vessels and swirled around the ceiling, trapped by the salt lines and devils traps. The building shuddered on its foundation as the demonic smoke imploded in a storm of ash and electricity.

The lights flickered back on and the survivors cautiously checked on each other. The towns people that had lived were assisted out of the building and sent on their bewildered way. "Thank you. But I gotta call this in. Hell of a story I won't be telling," Henriksen told the Winchesters.

"What are you going to tell them?" River said walking up holding another can of ginger ale.

"The least ridiculous story I can come up with in the next five minutes," he said smiling at her.

"Not to pressure you or anything but what are you going to tell them about us?" Dean asked as he and Sam shoved their weapons back in their duffle bags.

Henriksen took a long breath, "I'm gonna kill you. All three of you were in the chopper when it blew up. Nothing left. Can't even identify you with dental records."

River let her head fall back, eye closed and let out a shaky breath, "Thank you."

"Rest in peace, guys," Henriksen shook hands with Sam and Dean and gave River a quick hug.

"I'm sorry about what I said about the kid."

River nodded and smiled, "His name was Lucas." River stopped by the bulletin board and grabbed the flyers of the Winchesters mug shots, "Are you doing Blue Steel, Dean?" she asked laughing as they left the station.

Dean cursed and grumbled as he maneuvered Baby out of the crowded impound lot, Sam directing him as much as possible. The three hunters sped away from the station, exhausted, sweaty, but with a strange sense of calm. They found a cheap motel in the next town over and crashed for the night.

"She's sick again?" Sam asked worried and looking at the closed bathroom door. The sounds of River's retching had subsided.

"I told you guys, salads and jogging are gonna be the death of you." Dean replied, "Oh shit! What do you want?"

Ruby appeared in the room, bitch face in full force and hands on her hips. "You assholes check the morning news?"

Dean tuned on the TV as River exited the bathroom, "You guys smell that? Smells like…sulfur…what the fuck do you want?"

Ruby pointed to the TV screen that Dean and Sam sat in front of. "The community is still reeling from a tragedy the unfolded just hours ago. Apparently a natural gas leak caused a devastating explosion that tore through the Sheriffs station in Monument County," the reporter said into the camera. "The authorities believe a gas main ruptured and completely destroyed the building instantly killing everyone inside. Those who perished in the fire included six sheriffs deputies, one secretary, three FBI agents and three fugitives including these men," Sam and Dean's mugshots flashed across the screen, "and this woman wanted for the brutal murder of at least seven people." River's mugshot was also shown. River sat unsteadily next to Dean on the small bed they shared, "Sheriff Dodd, Deputy Amici, FBI agents Grove and Henriksen and secretary Nancy Fitzgerald are also among the dead." The pictures of the deceased were shown on the TV screen. Ruby leaned down and shut the TV off.

"Must of happened right after we left," Sam said.

"Considering the size of the blast I think we can thank Lilith," Ruby said throwing small leather bags to Sam and Dean, "These will throw Lilith off your trail for now."

"What about Riv?" Dean asked.

"They don't give a shit about your girlfriend Dean. I doubt Lilith even knows her name," Ruby told him.

River gave Dean a small smile, "Told you I'm a nobody."

"Anyways, guess your plan was the one with body count. Lilith slaughtered everyone in that building. Next time we go with my plan!" Ruby turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, slamming the door in her wake. The three hunters sat silently for a moment before River ran back to the bathroom diving to the toilet before she started vomiting again.


	32. Chapter 32

Ch 32

It had been two weeks since the incident in Colorado and the three hunters had been racing back and fourth along the lower forty eight tracing any lead on the Colt or Bela's whereabouts and Dean's contract. "If you can't quit puking for twenty minutes you're not coming!" Dean hollered into the closed door.

"Can it, Winchester!" came Rivers reply, she opened the door and glared at him, "Maybe if we didn't have to eat shitty, greasy fucking diner food every night I wouldn't be dying of food poisoning."

"You're not even dressed yet," Sam grumbled from the bed he was stretched out on. River was wearing a tank top and a pair of Dean's boxers.

"I'm hot Sam, ok! Maybe if you two reptiles let me turn the air conditioner on I wouldn't be melting right now!… Do you smell that?" she said as she grabbed her duffle and shut herself back in the bathroom.

"Is this what it's like? Living with a woman? … Was Jess like this?" Dean asked his younger brother rubbing his hands over his face.

Sam considered it for a moment, "Yeah usually once a month or so…maybe we should go get her some chocolate or something."

River changed out of her pajamas and dug around for some clean clothes, settling on a band shirt, jeans and one of Dean's flannels she had stolen. Near the bottom of her duffle bag was an almost squished box of tampons, she pulled it out and looked at. "Of course, haven't had a regular period in two years and probably gonna start on the night I'll be stuck somewhere with no working plumbing," she rubbed her aching, bloated lower belly and sore breasts and grabbed a couple tampons sticking them in her back pocket. She opened the door, "I'm ready boys. Lets go eat," she said grabbing her laptop on the way out the door.

"I think we should get to the Morton house around nine, it'll be pitch black and give us plenty of time to check things out before midnight," Sam told his brother as they drove away from the motel. Sam rifled through the papers and newspaper clippings he and River had collected on the local legend of Morton house. Apparently the house became one of the most haunted spots in America on the eve of the Leap year, dozens of disappearances being linked to the home. River tuned them out, having read through the articles already and turned on her laptop. Soon she was giggling in the backseat while starring at her laptop.

"What the hell is so funny about mass murdering ghosts?" Dean asked.

"What? No I'm watching the latest webisode of Ghostfacers. I love these guys. I can't believe they don't have a TV deal yet," she replied smiling.

"Webisode?" Dean muttered pulling the Impala into the local breakfast spot. The three hunters walked into the diner and headed for the back booth.

"Oh god, do you smell that?" River muttered turning a shade of green. The waitress came by soon enough and took their orders. "Excuse me but do you smell that? They think I'm crazy but I smell something….smelly coming from somewhere," River asked the waitress. Sam and Dean exchanged a look but said nothing.

"No, sweetheart I don't smell nothin'. You ok?" the waitress, a middle aged matronly looking woman asked River.

River nodded weakly, "Where's the restroom?" the waitress pointed to the opposite side of the restaurant and River jumped up and walked quickly following the signs.

"I'll bring her some peppermint tea, always worked for me," she smiled down at Dean and Sam as she headed for the kitchen.

"Should'a left her at the motel…" Dean muttered as River walked back towards the table, a few shades closer to her normal pale.

"Fuck, I'm starving," she told the brothers looking towards the kitchen as if her staring would hurry up their food.

Dean laughed "You've been throwing up for weeks, I don't even know how you're still alive."

"It hasn't been weeks," River muttered as the waitress came back with their drinks. She placed a hot cup of water with a tea bag in front of River, "I'm sorry I ordered coffee."

"Oh yeah, dear I thought this might settle your stomach a bit, always helped me with my first one," the waitress smiled encouragingly.

"First what?" Dean asked taking a long slurp of coffee.

"My first baby, sweetheart. That first trimester almost killed me. Throwin' up, every smell makin' me nauseous, yellin' at my man for no reason and honey I was so hot I thought I'd melt my skin off," she said turning away from the hunters. Sam tilted his head side to side, letting the waitress' words sink in. Dean sat his coffee cup down and took long breaths through his nose.

River sat shaking her head, "No, no. No.. I've just been under the weather. We've been traveling a lot and it's been stressful…I'm on the pill, Dean."

"Are you? Maybe thats the thing you keep telling me you're forgetting," Dean looked up at her.

She swallowed the answer that had wanted to shoot out and bit her lip, eyes tracing back and fourth trying to remember the last time she had actually taken her little pink pills, "Oh, fuck."

River had refused to leave until she ate her breakfast and half of Sam's, Dean's being covered in gravy and meat had been out of the question. Sam had taken the safety of the backseat and let River and Dean sit next to each other and argue. "Why are you freaking out? I'm not, Dean. Come on, lets just go find someone to salt and burn and move on," River pleaded with Dean as he pulled the Impala into the Gas'n'Sip and went inside without a word, "Sam, help me here. Tell him to chill. We don't time for this." Dean returned a minute later with the bathroom key and a shopping bag and opened the passenger door. River took the bag and followed Dean to the restroom, "What are you gonna do if it's positive? Are you just going to leave me here at the Gas'n'Sip?" Dean remained silent and held the door open gesturing with his chin for River to go in.

"I don't have to pee."

"You always have to pee," came Sam's response from where he now leaned on the hood of Baby. River threw him a signature bitchface and stalked into the dingy loo. Dean stood wordlessly next to his brother.

River returned a moment later, the little white stick clutched in her hand. "It's says we have to wait five minutes, one line is negative and two is positive," she slid onto the hood, sitting between the two brothers. "I'm sorry," she said looking up at Dean.

"Why are you always apologizing?"

"I feel like I'm constantly fucking everything up," she told him.

"Nothing is fucked up."

"I haven't even considered this to be a possibility…ever in my life." The timer on her phone went off and she turned the small stick over in her hands. "Maybe it's a dud, we should go get another one…shit," she wiped at the tears that started falling. Two bright blue lines stood in stark contrast to the white plastic.

"You're pregnant," Dean said quietly. Sam ran his hands nervously through his hair but said nothing.

"What are we gonna do?" River muttered quietly.

"You're pregnant…is it mine?" Dean asked looking over at her, his face a strange mix of emotions.

"Seriously, Winchester?" she laughed weakly, "No, it's Bobby's. I have a thing for crotchety older men in trucker hats…"

Dean took her face gently in his hands, one thumb wiped away a tear as it slid down her cheek, "You're pregnant with my baby." He smiled at her and brushed his lips gently against hers, one hand dropping to lay protectively on her stomach.

"You're happy about this? Are you serious? Last count we have less than 5 months before your ass gets dragged to hell," she stared into his green eyes.

"Maybe this is…I don't know a sign. Even if I'm gone, I won't be gone. Not really…" Dean told her.

"No. Fuck. NO. Dean. If this is a sign it's a sign that we need to work harder to find a way to keep you outta the pit!" River said, "I need a snack and we have a job to do remember?" She slid off the Impala and walked back into the Gas'n'Sip.

"Quit smiling. Both of you. What's wrong with you?" The familiar panicky sensation was rearing it's ugly head. Dean kept stealing glances at her; a big stupid grin plastered on his face. Sam sitting in the backseat with a similar smile looking at his older brother. "We've known each other less than a year, Dean. We've broken up like three times..."

"Yeah. Longest relationship I've ever had," Dean told her, "And I knocked you up. You're having my baby."

"What are we gonna do? Throw a car seat in the back? Take a pack-n-play tricked out in silver and devils traps out on hunts or better yet- me and the rug rat sit in some shitty motel waiting and hoping you two make it back from a hunt in one piece?"

"I used to ride along in a car seat. Dad would drop us off with Bobby or Pastor Jim…It'll be ok. You have both of us," Sam said. River turned in her seat, she was now buckled in at Dean's demand and unable to turn all the way to face him.

"You're not helping, Sam…Who the fuck in their right mind would let me keep a baby, Dean? How about that? I have nightmares every night. I drink too much. Every other word out of my mouth is fuck. We hunt monsters and kill demons. Oh and I technically died in a helicopter crash along with you two remember?" The Impala rolled down the highway the scenery passing by in an almost leisurely pace. "Are you driving the speed limit?" River asked Dean.

"Yeah. So?" Dean told her, glancing at the speedometer and slowing down a hair. "You don't want have my baby?"

"I didn't say that. It's just…No happy endings, Dean. Not in this life, it doesn't happen."

"I'll settle for a happy middle then," Dean told her, "And I don't want you hunting anymore. Starting tonight. You stay in the car. Me and Sammy got everything else handled."

River laughed again, "Yeah, right. Pretty sure I was pregnant last week when we ganked those demons in Reno and the witch coven in Bon Temps. So I'm not sitting on the sideline tonight either."


	33. Chapter 33

Ch 33

"I'm not staying in the fucking car, Dean," River grumbled as the Impala slowed to a crawl outside the Morton House, "Did you see that? I thought I saw lights."

Sam peaked out the passenger window, scanning with his own flashlights, "I don't see anything. The gates locked, might have to climb over it." Dean glanced over at River and shook his head "No".

"Sounds like a great time to show me how to pick locks," she replied. Dean found a a safe place to park Baby and the three hunters grabbed their gear.

"First sign this might go south, you're outside, got it?" Dean demanded holding her shotgun out of reach.

"Yes, sir. Now give my gun," she said hold out her hand. He held out the shotgun to her and when she grabbed for it he swooped in for a kiss. She forgot about the gun and ran her fingers through his hair bringing them closer together.

"Hey the gates already unlocked!" Sam called to them. They pulled apart unwillingly and glanced to where Sam stood at the security gate. The chain was cut and the gate swung open freely. Dean and River joined Sam at the gate and gazed up at the foreboding facade of the dark house. The two story home had perhaps seen better days, the paint was peeling and the color was indistinguishable. The doors and windows were boarded, the front porch sagging and creaked when the three climbed the stairs.

"There's probably asbestos in there. It'd be safer if you stay out here," Dean said turning to River.

"Winchester, you try one more time to cock block me from this case and I'm gone come unglued. I can feel the homicidal pregnancy hormones kicking in as we speak," she replied smiling.

"Front doors locked, you wanna practice on this?" Sam asked pulling out the small zippered pouch he kept his lock pick in. She turned away from Dean's green gaze and kneeled next to Sam. "Alright this is the tension wrench and this is the pick," Sam said holding up each tool, "Tension wrench goes in the bottom of the lock and the pick at the top," River followed his quiet instructions. Gently applying pressure and turning the pick she started to feel the pins shift, "I think it's working…did you hear that." There was muffled cry and scuffling from the second floor.

"Just kick the damn door in Sammy," Dean grumbled hovering over River as she worked on the lock.

A final click came from the lock and River smiled triumphantly opening the door silently, "I got it!" Sam gave her a high five and the three entered the house, guns and flashlights out. Excited cries could be heard from the main room and creaking floor boards from the second floor. Dean silently gestured towards the main room and directed River to stay put. He and Sam stalked forward flashlights out and yelling , "Police, hands up!" River smirked at the two and then turned towards the back room where a sharp cry rang out. She crept silently to towards the sound and saw a light bouncing back and forth and man with a small hand held camera staring at the far corner of the room.

"Is there any spirits here that would like to communicate? Show me a sign!" the mans voice trembled slightly.

"D.E.A! Hands up, Jackass!" River yelled. The man made a surprised squeak and spun towards the doorway where River stood.

"D.E.A?" he repeated confused, his short curly hair was shiny with sweat and he pushed his glasses nervously up his nose.

"Drop the camera, Spielberg," she called stepping closer.

"Hey, I got rights!" he yelled back, shoving the camera in her face. She side stepped him and grabbed his free wrist pulling it up and behind and him, forcing him to bend forward at the waist or risk breaking his arm.

"River, where the hell are you?" Deans voice echoed from the main room.

"You got more friends out there, Tarantino?" she asked the man in front of her as she led him towards Dean. She walked towards the main room, listening to the voices of the Winchesters as well as another familiar voice.

"You're those guys from West Texas!"

"Oh, man no way. Dude, remember those idiots at the Tulpa case? The…Hellhounds or something," Sam said to Dean. The various flashlights all but blinded River as she forced her way between the two taller men.

"I found this fucking cheesehead in the back trying to communicate with the dearly departed," River said glancing up at Dean and giving the man a slight shove.

"Spruce? You ok? Is the camera ok?" the stranger grabbed at the camera clutched in his companions hand.

"D.E.A my ass. Xena Warrior Princess almost broke my damn arm!" Spruce muttered. High pitched screams and pounding footsteps echoed down the rickety stairs and three new people joined them in the main room.

"Ed! Ed! We got a full body apparition!" a skinny man called excitedly clutching at his friends shoulders.

"EMP off the charts!" a young asian woman said. Sam and Dean rolled their eyes at the group of excited ghost hunters as River took a step forward.

"No. Fucking. Way!" she yelled happily, "You're the Ghostfacers! Oh my god I love you guys!" She made a happy noise and jumped up and down, grabbing Sam's arm. "Sammy it's the Ghostfacers! You're Harry and you're Ed!" The two men turned back towards the Winchesters and River.

"Your fangirl is showing," muttered Dean rolling his eyes.

"Can I get a picture?" River asked pulling out her phone and handing it to Sam, "You know I applied for that internship you guys had. I sent in the video about the differences between Shapeshifters, Skin Walkers and Werewolves."

"Wait, aren't those the douchebags from Texas?" Harry interrupted staring at Sam and Dean.

"You guys know each other? This is awesome, Sam take our picture," she stood between Harry and Ed smiling widely as Sam begrudgingly took a picture for her.

"I remember that video. You know none of those things exist right? We're looking for legitimate investigators," Harry told her.

"You're with these boy band drop outs?" Ed said glaring at Sam and Dean. River cocked her head, smile faltering at the last comment. Dean and Sam exchanged a worried look as River's grip unconsciously tightened on her shotgun.

"Yeah, yeah, we work together. I'm River and you already know them. The tall douchebag is Sam and the devastatingly handsome, brooding douchebag is Dean," she said taking her phone back from Sam and tucking it in her pocket. "Well enough of that, you ass clowns need to pack up your shit and get the fuck outta here in the next seven minutes," she turned back towards the Ghostfacers, all traces of her former fangirl gone. Sam and Dean let out a loud laugh watching the shorter woman stand toe to toe with the Ghostfacers.

Ed and Harry spluttered, "Wait..what."

"You heard me get your shit and get out before you or one of your dumbass friends gets hurt. I watch your show and its pure luck you haven't actually run into a real haunting before. But this house on today of all days is way above your fucking pay grade," River told them.

Dean wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled causing his eyes to crinkle at the edges, "You heard the lady. Time to move! We'll all go out for ice cream."

"Oooh ice cream sounds amazing," River exclaimed.

"Listen here, Chisel Chest and She-Ra, we were here first, we already set up base camp. And we're gonna be the first to spend the night in Morton house," Ed replied.

"Chisel chest and She-Ra, Princess of Power!" River smiled up at Dean, "They already set up base camp, baby. Maybe we should leave…" She gave a look of mock worry, eyebrows raised and corners of her mouth turned down.

Arguments immediately broke out, Ed and Harry yelling at the hunters about their show and scientific investigation into the supernatural.

"You're not the first idiots to stay the night here. I've got a whole list of people that disappeared after coming here," Sam told Ed.

"Yeah, well we've never heard of 'em," Ed argued.

Sam pulled out the folder of info he and River had collected, "That's because those dumb enough to try it especially on February 29th are never heard of again." Sam shoved the papers in Ed's face reading off the names of the disappeared. River and Dean circled the "Eagles nest" and picked through the various equipment the team had acquired occasionally laughing at each others snarky comments. Maggie, the young Asian woman and Ed's adopted sister, stood at her computer and reviewed the ghost footage they had caught upstairs.

"Ed! Ed look at this!" she called. Ed and Harry turned their attention towards the computer screen as did the hunters. The footage showed a man in a suit, talking to someone and then being shot and disappearing.

"Did it interact with you?" River asked them.

"No but our cameras and EMP went nuts before he appeared," Maggie answered.

"I think we got a problem," River called to the Winchesters. The three hunters walked away from the excited group. The camera man, Spruce following them with camera raised. "I think that was a death echo," River said quietly to the brothers.

"Yeah, definitely, but what's it doing here? No one ever got shot here, right?" Dean said. River and Sam shook their heads in unison.

"The only body ever found here was the last owner, Freeman Dagget," Sam answered.

"What's a death echo?" Spruce asked. The hunters turned towards the camera man.

"It means we gotta problem here and that ghost isn't it," Sam told him.

"Echoes are trapped in a loop, they keep replaying how they died over and over again, except usually its in the place where they died." Dean continued.

"Ok, alright, we need to get you guys out of here. Now. Leave your equipment you need to get out, River you too," Sam said walking back towards the group. The group started arguing again, River included, "No way, nothing has changed. It's a freakin' death echo, Dean come on!"

"Wait! Where's Corbett?" Ed asked glancing around at his group. Everyone stopped arguing and scanned the room. "No man left behind!" Ed yelled. A loud, panicked scream echoed through out the house. "Corbett!" the remaining Ghostfacers yelled and took off running back up the stairs.

"Guys. We'll get him!" Dean yelled.

"Shit!" River and Sam exclaimed as the under prepared and over eager civilians ran away from the hunters.

"You stay here and get the salt!" Dean yelled at her as he and Sam hurried after the Ghostfacers. River rolled her eyes as the Winchesters took the stairs two at a time.

"Yeah, I'll just stay down here by myself and get the salt," she muttered walking back to "base camp".

Corbetts terrified screams echoed through the house but he there was no physical sign of him. The Ghostfacers ran room to room in a confused and yelling mass, cameras and flashlights pointed in each others faces. "Enough! You need to follow us and get the hell out of here now!" Dean roared at the group as he and Sam tried to herd them back downstairs. The group made their way back to main room, River glancing up from the computer she had commandeered. She was scanning the Ghostfacer footage for any signs of Corbett or what had grabbed him.

"Are you happy now, Dean! It's after midnight!" Sam yelled.

"Yeah, I am happy!" Dean yelled back.

River glared at the brothers as they argued and glanced at Spruce who held a camera inches from her face, "How is you relationship with the Winchesters? Are they usually this volatile?"

"Our relationship is none of your damn business…this is nothing. If they weren't fighting I'd be more worried. Do any of you have any snacks?"

"It's our grand canyon, Sammy, come on. You said. You have four months left, your girlfriend is pregnant and now we are all gonna die tonight !" Sam yelled back, slamming a chair into the front door.

Spruce swung the camera back into River's face, "You're pregnant? And ghost hunting? Do you think thats very responsible?"

River turned back towards Spruce and noticed the rest of the Ghostfacers had gone quiet listening to the brothers fight, "I don't have to explain myself to a douche behind a camera." She turned away from the cameraman and walked to the brothers, "Enough! You're scaring the civvies! We all wanted this hunt and now we're here and we're gonna deal with it. So put your big girl panties on and think!" she yelled at them. Both men faltered and looked over to the group of frightened ghost hunters.

"Why won't the door open?" Ed yelled.

"You wanna know why the door won't open. Because it's not just death echoes, there is something else here that has sealed every door, every window in this house and doesn't want us to leave!" Sam told him. Dean paced restlessly, rubbing his hands over his face.

River stood in front of him, placing her hands on his chest and whispered "So it only took finding out I'm knocked up to become your official girlfriend?"

Spruce pushed his camera between the two, "Why do you only have four months left? Is it cancer?"

"You trying to win an Oscar? I'm trying to have a private moment here and no way in hell am I talking about my personal problems with you assholes," Dean muttered.

Just then the flashlights and cameras began to flicker again, "EMF is going crazy, temperature is dropping!" Harry yelled.

"It's happening again!" Maggie cried bordering on hysteria. Dean, Sam and River corralled the Ghostfacers behind them and waited for whatever was about to make an entrance. An ethereal light appeared and a man materialized, he was middle aged, heavy set and looked terrified. River and Dean broke off from the group and surrounded the man.

"Hey! Hey you! You are dead!" Dean yelled into it's face.

"Go into the light! There's donuts over there! You are dead!" River screamed waving her hands in front of its face.

"What the hell are they doing?" Harry muttered.

"Sometimes you can break through the echo, stop the replay and help them move on," Sam answered. The apparition of the man was suddenly struck by a blinding light as a train whistle blared and the echo was thrown across the room where it disappeared.

"A gunshot and a train? What the hell is going on here, Dean?" River asked as they rejoined the group. The hunters decided to take the Ghostfacers on a field trip and explore the rest of the house hoping to find any clue as to what they hell they were dealing with.

"Everyone stay close, no stragglers, buddy up!" River yelled.

"What the hell are we looking for? Did those things take Corbett?" Ed asked Sam.

"I don't know, maybe? Look echoes are ghosts ok? But ghosts usually haunt the places that they died. No one was shot here, no one was hit by a train. So?"

"So what are they doing here?" Maggie piped up from the middle of the group, her own small hand held camera stationed in front of her face.

"Ding ding! Give the lady a prize!" Dean sang, "Exactly, what the hell are they doing here?" The group made it through the crumbling and decrepit hallways to a main dining area. Cobwebs and layers of dust covered various boxes and stacks of papers and books.

"This belonged to Freeman Dagget, the houses' last owner died in '64 of a heart attack, looks like a commencement award for 20 years of impeccable service at Gamble hospital. He apparently worked there as a janitor." Sam said holding up a yellowing award in a cracked frame.

"Are these MRE's?" River asked wiping of a dusty box, "Meals ready to eat. Military issue by the looks." She said glancing into Spruce's ever present camera.

Dean wandered over to an ancient looking fridge, "Hmm it's locked." He tried tugging on the upper door.

"What the hell guys? How is this going to help us find Corbett? We should be knocking down walls or digging up floor boards!" Ed yelled. The hunters glanced at him and then each other and went back to the locked door. Sam and Dean jimmied the handle back and forth until it popped open. Inside was a small lock box which Dean quickly opened. The contents included a pamphlet on how to survive a nuclear war, "What an optimist." River mused.

"Crap, useless…book on taxidermy thats weird," Dean said scouring through the various papers in the lockbox, "These are toe tags eww…gunshot, pedestrian versus train, and suicide." Sam and River looked at each other, a twin look of disgust on their faces. "Ewww," they groaned.

"What?" Ed and Harry asked bewildered.

"It explains the death echoes," Sam answered. The two men still had a confused look. "The death echoes are stuck here because their bodies are here…somewhere in the house."

"Brought home from the morgue to play with the janitor," Dean finished. Comprehension dawned on the Ghostfacers and as one the issued a disgusted "Eww…" The flashlight flickered and the cameras flashed again, the Ghostfacers EMP started making a high pitched buzzing sound.

"It's happening again! The EMP is climbing…9…11…something big is coming!" Ed yelled.

"Everybody close together!" River yelled. The cameras and flashlight blinked for a second and the Winchesters were gone. "Dean! Sam!" River rushed to the point on the floor just feet in front of her where they had been standing. Sam's flashlight and Dean's shotgun lay where they had been just a split second before. "DEAN! SAM!" she screamed again. The house was deafeningly silent as she bent down to pick up the forgotten items.


	34. Chapter 34

Ch 34

"Where'd they go!"

"We're all dead!"

"Aahhh!"

Ed, Harry and Maggie ran leaving River slowly circling the room where Sam and Dean had disappeared. Spruce remaining behind with his camera trained on the lone hunter. "Shit. Shit. Shit." River muttered to herself, pulling her beanie down further over her red hair, "Ok. Step one you and your friends are going to stay put and stay safe. I can't find the others if I have to worry about you assholes….where are your friends?"

Maggie and Harry ran into a room, grasping each others hands frantically. They stopped for a moment to draw frightened breaths and then kissed each other passionately. "My best friend and my best sister!" Ed yelled at Harry as he discovered them in the midst of their heated make out session. The sounds of a scuffle echoed along the empty hallway, Maggie yelling at the friends to stop fighting. River walked in and glared at the two Ghostfacers grasping each other and spinning around the room, neither landing any real hits on the other. She raised her shotgun and fired a shot into the ceiling instantly stopping the half-hearted fight. Ed pushed his glasses up his nose and Harry returned to Maggie's side.

"You three are gonna stop now. Me and my tadpole are not dying in this house tonight. Those two 'boy band drop out douche bags' are the only god damn family I've got and they aren't gonna die either," she pointed the still smoking shotgun at Ed, Harry, and Maggie. "I will not die for you. Do you understand?" The three frightened faces nodded in understanding. "You will listen to me, follow my directions or so help me I will shoot you and leave your bodies for Freeman Daggett to play with. Do you understand?" They nodded again. River led them back to the main room. "Stand there, close together, " she grabbed the container of salt and drew a circle around them.

"What's that for?" Spruce asked.

"Spirits can't cross salt lines. Stay in the circle and stay safe. That means you too, Coppola."

"We need to document this," Ed piped up. River stood and frowned at him.

"I'm not afraid," Spruce added.

River rolled her eyes, "Here, these are made of iron." She handed Ed and Harry a wrench and a crowbar. "Ghosts also do not like iron. It will slow them down but only for a moment."

"How about one of the shotguns?" Harry asked.

"No. Stay in the circle. DO NOT for any circumstance leave that circle," River duck taped her flashlight onto the end of her shotgun, grabbed Deans shotgun, checked that is was loaded and stuffed it and some extra shells into her small backpack.

"You kind of look like Ripley when she went to save Newt from the Queen Alien," Spruce said.

River smiled, "You're starting to grow on me Spruce. I'll try and make sure you don't die first. Alright, so Daggett was a prepper, Cold war, end of days nut job. Guys like him would have had a contingency plan, not just the MRE's but somewhere to hunker down while the mushroom cloud dissipated," she led Spruce out of the main room to the long hallway.

"Like a bunker or a bomb shelter?" Spruce asked.

"Bingo. So I'm guessing that's where Daggett would hide his new friends. Only place we haven't checked is the basement. You sure you're not scared, Spruce?" River smiled at him and the camera. They stood at the top of a dark, dank stairwell decked in cobwebs and loose boards. She waited a half second before descending the stairs.

"Aren't you scared?" Spruced asked following her down into the dark.

"I'm always scared. But that's not gonna stop me from doing my fucking job…" the door behind them slammed shut. Spruce grasped at the doorknob but it wouldn't budge. "Guess we're headed in the right direction," she muttered continuing down the stairs. She wandered around the basement aiming her flashlight into the dark corners.

"Hey, uh, earlier I heard Dean, he only has a couple of months left and you're pregnant?" Spruce stammered.

River stopped her searching, "Yeah. It's complicated and it's none of your business." She took a deep breath and brought her free hand to her stomach, "This wasn't in the plans. I don't know whats gonna happen. This life…it doesn't come with a retirement plan, ok? We are almost guaranteed to die young and bloody. But…I love him Dean. I love Sam, too. They saved my life, they took me in, they're my family. And We aren't dying in this fucking house."

"Do you hear that?" Spruce whispered. Faint music drifted from a far corner of the basement. River turned toward the sound holding her hand out to keep Spruce behind her.

"It's coming from behind this wall," River paused at a heavy metal book case. She grabbed the edge of it and grunting, cursing and pushing managed to swing it away on rusted hinges.

"I probably should have helped you with that," Spruce said. River flipped him her middle finger and moved to the door where she struggled again with the rusted handle.

"Corbett! Look at me, stay with me. It's gonna be ok!" Sam yelled to the frightened young man. Corbett was tied to a chair, just like Sam and Dean. Daggett appeared behind Corbett, wrapped a large hand around his head to hold him still and shoved a screwdriver through his neck.

"I'm so glad you and your brother could come to my party. I get so lonely," the sprit of Freeman Daggett said to Sam as he circled the party table. The body of Corbett, the Ghostfacer intern slowly bled out from the wound in his neck.

Sam pulled at his restraints, "Dean! Dean wake up!" Dean sat slumped forward in his chair, restrained at the chest and arms like Sam. From his seat, Sam could see Dean's hair was matted with blood but his chest rose and fell with even breaths.

"Don't worry, the pain will stop. It won't hurt," Freeman leaned over Sam causing his struggles to increase. The spirit snapped a party hat over Sam's head and laughed, "Now we are ready to get the party started." The spirit picked up the screwdriver he had used to murder Corbett and moved to stand behind Dean.

River grunted with effort as she finally turned the handle on the bomb shelter door, swinging it wide. She stepped in, raising her gun and quickly identify the hulking vision of Freeman Daggett standing over Dean, "Hey Ugly!" She yelled causing Daggett to turn towards her. She fired the shotgun into his chest causing him to disintegrate into thick smoke.

"River!" Sam yelled.

She ran to Sam and quickly cut through the ropes binding him to the chair, "Nice hat, Sasquatch." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then ran to Dean as Sam finished untying himself. Spruce walked on shaky legs to stand next to the cooling body of his friend. "Dean, Dean! Wake up, hot stuff!" she cut the ropes around his chest but Dean only groaned, "Sammy can you carry him?" Sam nodded and slung his brother over his shoulder. They hurried out of the bomb shelter and laid Dean on the ground in the basement.

His eyes fluttered open, "Son of a bitch…" he muttered rubbing his sore temple as River helped him sit up.

"It's kind of refreshing I'm not the one with the head trauma for once," River said smiling at Dean. She leaned down and kissed him gently, "Who would've saved your ass if you made me stay in the car?"

"So what's Freeman Daggett's problem anyways?" Spruce asked.

"Loneliness…Norman Bates, stuff your mother loneliness," Sam answered gingerly probing the swelling under his eye. "He threw himself a birthday party and his special friends were the only ones that came."

"How do you know that?" Dean asked wincing as River wiped at the blood on his temple.

"He told me. Locked the bodies he stole from the morgue in the bomb shelter, went upstairs and OD'd on horse tranquilizers."

"So now he's dead. Same song, different verse?" Dean asked standing up, "Trying to get people to come to his party and stay forever?" River popped open her shotgun and tossed the empty shells aside, grabbing fresh shells from her backpack.

"Are those real?" Spruce asked indicating the spent shells.

"Rock salt, won't kill the ghost but apparently hurts like a mother fucker." River answered.

"You drop a lot of F-bombs, it's going to make editing all this footage a pain in my butt," Spruce muttered.

"My therapist used to tell me cursing was a coping mechanism," River said smiling, "Then I told him to fuck off. So excuse the fucking fuck outta me."

Ed, Maggie and Harry still sat in the salt circle. Ed singing the Ghostfacer theme song quietly. Maggie's camera and the computer equipment blinked and the spirit of Corbett appeared before his friends. He had a look of abject terror on his face, breaths labored and blood spewing from the small hole in his throat. The living Ghostfacers cried out in fear, "Corbett!"

"Corbett. He's a uh…he's a death echo," Harry stammered, "We have to try and reach him." The tried calling out to him but the spirit did not recognize them.

Ed stood up and took a tentative step outside the salt circle, "I have to try and help him." He walked closely to the frightened spirit and tried talking to him. "It's not working guys!"

Dean used the butt of his shotgun and hammered at the locked basement door. Spruce continued aiming the camera at him and Sam. "Really dude, still shooting?" Sam asked. Dean yelled in frustration sending a kick into the door which resolutely refused to be opened. River stood at the base of the stairs, absently rubbing her stomach.

"You ok baby?" Dean called down the stairs.

"I'm nauseas and hungry. And I have to pee but there are too many cobwebs down here," she answered.

Spruce's camera light flicked and the EMP in his pocket beeped, "I think somethings coming." The next moment the hulking figure of Freeman Daggett appeared in front of Spruce. The spirit swatted Spruce like a fly and the man flew to the nearest wall, camera still clutched in his hand. River aimed her shotgun and fired the salt rounds into the apparition causing it to disappear again. Dean and Sam charged down the stairs and stood next to her.

"Get behind me!" Dean yelled. The angry ghost reappeared a second later and charged at the three hunters.

"I don't know how to get through to him!" Ed said looking over at the death echo of his friend.

"I know how to reach him," Harry answered, "Corbett, he liked you Ed. Like-liked you, big time had the hots for you." Ed stared at him speechless. "You have to tell him how much he mattered to this group, how much he mattered to you. You can get through to him!"

"You're the brave one, Ed." Maggie encouraged her brother.

Ed walked unsteadily towards the ghost of his former intern, "Corbett, Corbett buddy please hear me. I'm so, so sorry this happened to you." The ghost continued to cry silently. "I just wanted to tell you how much you meant to us. To me,Corbett. You meant so much to me and I never told you and I'm sorry…" The ghost stopped it's hitching breaths and it's glazed eyes slowly turned to Ed.

"Ed?" Corbett whispered. The Ghostfacers cheered as the echo was broken.

"Yeah, Corbett. We…I need your help. The guy that killed you, he's gonna kill all of us. We can't stop him. Please help us," Ed begged.

Daggett charged at Sam and Dean and threw them into opposite ends of the room. Leaving River again standing alone, she finished loading new shells into the shotgun and blew the ghost into another cloud of smoke. He was back just as quickly and screamed in rage, throwing River into one of the support beams in the middle of the room. The three hunters and the camera man all lay dazed on the ground. Daggett stood over River with screwdriver raised. She shakily raised the gun and pulled the trigger but was met with the impotent sound of an empty firing pin. "River!" Dean hollered pulling himself to his feet.

"Get away from her!" a new voice called.

Spruce raised his camera and pointed it at the spirit that confronted Daggett, "Corbett?"

Daggett turned to face his victim, the young man still wore his camouflage fatigues and headlamp. The two spirits met in a violent clash in the middle of the room, Daggett's dark yellow light and Corbett's bright white light flaring and combining. Dean crawled to River and gathered her in his arms, pulling her towards his chest. The unearthly lights increased, growing almost blinding, they twirled around the room like a tornado causing the house to shake on its foundation. Until at last Corbett's inner light engulfed Daggett's in a final crash, Daggett's piercing scream fading along with his light. Corbett's white light flew upwards through the roof and disappeared.

"You ok?" Dean asked River as he ran his hand along her face.

She took his palm and kissed it gently, "I don't know. I think so…Sam, you ok?" she called over her shoulder. He yelled back his affirmative and she called over to Spruce who also answered. The hunters and the cameraman climbed the stairs out of the basement and reconvened with the other Ghostfacers. Ed and Harry took excited turns telling Sam, Dean and River how they connected with Corbett and helped break his echo. The hunters gave them appreciative smiles and exchanged phone numbers with the Ghostfacers giving them explicit instructions never to fucking call them.

"Good job boys," River said, "Now I'm starving and I kind of want to throw up."

"So what do you guys think?" Ed asked apprehensively. The Ghostfacers, Sam and Dean all held bottles of beer. River sat between the brothers and sipped at a glass of ice tea and sat back with a small sigh. The episode of Ghostfacers and the Morton house investigation had just finished, a small tribute to Corbett fading from the screen.

Dean laughed, "You know I think it was half-awesome." Sam nodded in agreement, pulling out a small cloth bag out of River's backpack and tucking it under the table they sat in front of.

"Well, you managed to some how honor your dead friend and at the same time shamelessly use his murder to promote your own show," River said smiling, "Good job editing out all my dirty language." The three hunters stood up in unison, smiling amiably at the Ghostfacers.

"Real Tight rope you guys are walking. Good job!" Sam called.

"You know River, we seem to have an opening for an intern. And we reviewed your application video," Ed started, "We voted and we would like to officially offer you the position."

River stopped and faced them smiling, "Really? Fuck yes!" Dean and Sam turned around also, eyebrows raised.

"Awesome! Ok, well you can start next week. I like vanilla latte's, Harry doesn't drink coffee…"

"I'm just kidding. No. Never. Ever. No. I'll stick with my boy band rejects. Adios," she saluted the Ghosthunters and left the garage turned headquarters with Sam and Dean. The three hurried to the Impala and crammed into the front seat. Dean peeling away with a spin of tires and gravel.

"I think they forgot something," Maggie said, leaning down and pulling the bag Sam had hidden. She pulled out a strange looking bundle, a large battery wrapped in various wires and connected to a small clock the counted down to zero as the Ghostfacers watched. "What the hell?" The computer screens flickered, shutting off one by one then rebooting with error messages.

"Wait, oh god what's happening? Everything is gone. Wiped out…" Spruce cried.

River leaned her head on Dean's shoulder, one hand grasping his hand tightly and the other laying protectively on her abdomen. "You ok?" Dean asked for the hundredth time.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm just sore," she answered, "I want this baby, Dean. I want our baby to be safe. I don't even know far along I am. No clue, could be six weeks or closer to ten." The impracticalities of pregnancy and hunting were soon apparent as they began to discuss mundane things such as regular doctors appointments and pre-natal vitamins, which Dean argued they would be getting in the next town. Sam being the level headed one suggested they just ask Bobby if River could use his home as a of base of operations.

Sioux Falls had doctors offices, a small hospital and Bobby's house was plenty big to accommodate a new born and River. None of them mentioned the elephant in the room being that if they didn't find a way to save Dean, Bobby most likely would be the best equipped to keep River and the baby safe long term anyways. Dean called Bobby when they stopped in the next town while River and Sam went to the grocery store for her vitamins. Bobby wept tears of joy and sorrow as he told Dean again and again how damn proud he was of him and what a friggin' idjit he was for knocking River up while he had a bounty on his soul.


	35. Chapter 35

Ch 35

"Hey, baby did I wake you up?" Dean's worried voice echoed over the phone.

"No…no I shouldn't be sleeping. I was working…what time is it?" River sat up groggily, rubbing her tired eyes.

"About 1 in the afternoon," Dean's voice reflected his smile, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fat. Enormously fat and tired. You're not gonna believe how big I am, my freakin' pants barely fit," River sat at the edge of the small bed, rubbing her swollen belly, "I have a doctors appointment in a few days, we get to have an ultrasound finally. Maybe they can figure out when I'm due… When are you comin' home?"

A few days after the Morton house incident River had suffered cramps and lite spotting in her underwear. The three had spent another tense day laying in a motel to see if it progressed. When the pain subsided, they went to a local clinic where the nurses were able to confirm the baby still had a heartbeat. The doctor recommended River stay on bedrest if possible for a few weeks and to find an OB doctor for an ultrasound. Since they couldn't afford to lay around with River, Dean and Sam dropped her off at Bobby's to recuperate.

"I don't know baby. Me and Sammy are workin' a case."

"Tell me about the case, I'm getting cabin fever. I keep reading the same useless fucking books. I Skyped that professor in Berkeley he was useless. Re-read all the stuff from Levi, also useless." She glanced around the room she had been sleeping in. It was Dean's old room, she had begun to clean and pack up his non-essentials, old clothes, Pam Anderson poster, piles of books that she returned to Bobby's library. The room was small but she figured she could cram a small crib near the closet if she rearranged the furniture. She had laid down to rest her eyes after packing up a box of Dean's old tapes and ended up sleeping for three hours.

"There's a case in Ohio, Bobby called me with it. Thinks its a spirit. Guy got a weird phone call and then blew his brains out."

"I haven't seen you in six weeks, Dean. Let me meet you, I need to see you. Don't make me beg. God, I need you so fucking bad," River moaned into the phone, "Hormones Dean, their killin' me."

"No, we'll finish this case and I'll be there in time for your doctors appointment. I'll make it worth the wait, baby." They disconnected the call and River heaved herself off the bed.

"You better not be as big as Sam, I don't think I can birth a baby Sasquatch," She mumbled to her swollen stomach as she finished sweeping the floor.

River and Bobby had fallen into an easy routine over the last six weeks as well. Bobby leaving frequently for quick hunts or chasing information on Dean's deal. River being left to her own devices and spending most days scouring Bobby's vast library of occult knowledge, cleaning and/ or organizing his hoarder level collection of junk. In all her searches, in all Bobby's and the brothers searches they had still found not one morsel of information to help save Dean.

Sam and Dean had been driving non-stop hitting every side show, road stop museum of the bizarre and harassing numerous collegiate professors specializing in occult or religious literature. River and Dean spoke on the phone nearly every day, Dean always wanting to know how she felt, if she was ok, what she had been doing. But Dean's goofy optimism about the baby couldn't keep the vague cloud of despair from settling over her as the days and weeks passed.

Bobby had been out on a hunt with his frenemy Rufus for close to a week and would be back tomorrow to go with River to her doctors appointment. She was lonely and bored having turned down Loki's numerous calls to go out. She hummed "Enter the Sandman" while she knelt on the hardwood floor of her room, a small bottle of red paint sat on the ground in front of her and she slowly painted a Devil's Trap at the doorway. She repeated the process in front of the small window and painted various symbols and spells on the glass and along the frame. Her cellphone rang the intro to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" she quickly grabbed at it, "Hey hot stuff, you ok?"

"Babe, you are not gonna believe this!" Dean excited voice rang over the phone. He was obviously pacing, she could hear his footsteps echoing.

"What? What happened?"

"Look, I told you about the case we're on. The spirit and the phone calls, right? People all over town are getting phone calls from dead people, this place is turning into spook central."

"Ok? So ghosts are trying to phone home. And?"

"I got a call from dad! He called me, Riv. He knows about my deal, he knows my time is almost up," Dean paused as he covered the phone and said something to another person, Sam no doubt River thought, "Baby, he gave me a spell to kill a demon."

River's breath caught and she sat down unsteadily on the bed, "Dean, what? Slow down. What the hell are you saying?"

"Dad said the demon that has my contract has been following my sweet ass all over for the last couple of weeks and it's here now. In this town and Dad knows where it'll be and he gave me an exorcism spell that can kill the son of a bitch."

"Dean, we don't know that!" Sam's annoyed voice echoed over the phone.

"Dean, an exorcism that can kill a demon? I've never heard of such a thing…can you email it to me, let me check it out," River stuttered, heart thudding in her chest.

"God damn it! I though you would be excited. I get enough shit from Sam, I don't need it from you. This is my chance River, I'm taking it!" he disconnected the phone before she could reply. River stared at the phone, her mind racing. She had come across dozens of various exorcism spells from various world religions but nothing that could kill a demon. Her hands shook slightly as she dialed Sam's number.

"Hey, Riv," Sam sounded exhausted.

"Sam ,what the hell dude? Is this possible? Did you hear your dad? Did you talk to him?" River asked.

"No but I got the spell. I'll send it you. I already sent it to Bobby, he's checking it out." Sam and River spoke for several more minutes. Sam relaying more info on the case, strange phone calls all over town, the only common thread is there from dead people. He had met a young girl who seemed afraid of the phone calls she had been receiving from her dead mother. His gut told him this wasn't a simple spirit but they had no other leads.

"Stay safe. I love you guys. Call me tomorrow," River hung up the phone and immediately went to her laptop to research the spell. It didn't take long to confirm it was from a 17th century holy manuscript from the Vatican but there was no evidence that it killed demons. She texted Sam and Bobby and sat in the empty house waiting for a phone call or update from someone.

"You want me to go in with you sweetheart?" Bobby asked as he and River sat in the crowded waiting room. River sat bouncing her legs restlessly, glancing at the clock on the wall and her phone.

"No, its fine Bobby. God damn this is torture, make a pregnant woman drink a ton of water, won't let me pee and they are running 45 minutes behind…." she checked her phone again, no calls or messages from either Winchester.

"River Wesson…" the short nurse called her assumed name from the now open door. River stood and smiled at Bobby before walking towards the nurse, "Just you today?" the nurse asked.

River began to answer, "Ye-"

"Nope, right here princess. Told you I'd make it," Dean ran through the door right before it clicked shut. He snaked one arm around her waist and the other around her belly.

River turned towards him and ran her hand over his bruised face, "What the hell happened? You didn't call me. I've been freaking out."

"We'll talk about it later," Dean smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He didn't have to say anything else, she knew the spell hadn't worked. She blinked several times trying to prevent tears from falling as they followed the nurse into the exam room.

"Last period?" the nurse asked.

"No idea," River answered, the nurse gave a disgruntled sigh, "I…uh…I've never been regular and I had a few concussions and my memory is kind of fuzzy. I was on the pill and apparently forgot those too…" she laughed nervously, glancing at Dean. He made a movement with his hand telling her to relax. The nurse motioned for River to lay on the exam table which she did.

"I can't believe how big you've gotten," Dean smiled. The nurse reached for River's Johnny Cash shirt and started to pull it up and over her stomach. She took a startled breath at the jagged and now slightly stretched scar on River's abdomen was exposed.

"I was in a car accident," River muttered. The nurse left them to wait for the doctor in the cold exam room. Dean wandered around nervously, opening and closing drawers. River beat out a rhythm on the exam table with her hands.

The doctor entered a moment later, flanked by the same annoyed looking nurse. The doctor sat down at the ultrasound machine and quickly swept the wand over River's belly. Dean stood over her as the first pictures appeared on the screen, "Is it supposed to look like that doc? Looks like there's two of them in there…"

"What?" River's head shot up and stared at the screen.

"Yes, good eye son. Congratulations you're having twins. They look healthy and by these measurements you should be about 14 weeks give or take a week so. Can't tell the sex; they're turned the wrong way. Maybe next appointment," the doctor told them turning the machine off and handing a towel to River to wipe of her stomach.

River stared at the doctor's quickly retreating back, "So, wait thats it? Congrats you get a 2 for 1; see you next appointment?" The doctor paused at the doorway and looked back, "I mean…what the…can I least get off house arrest?"

"How about Luke and Leia? Or Julius and Vincent?" Dean said as he and River walked back to the waiting room to get Bobby and Sam.

River stopped and laughed, "Like the freakin' Schwarzeneggar movie? No…you're grinning like an idiot. I'm freaking out right now. Two babies. I can't…"

"You can. You've got this. You're going to be a great mom, with or without me." Dean pulled her close and kissed her gently. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Wanda and Pietro? Or Fred and George?" she quipped as they walked up to Bobby and Sam.

"No Harry Potter names," Dean muttered.

"So? Boy or girl?" Sam asked.

"We don't know yet. But we're having twins!" Dean yelled happily into the waiting room.


	36. Chapter 36

Ch 36

"How about Mario and Luigi?" Dean said looking over at River. The Impala roared down the deserted blacktop. The trio of hunters raced towards a small town that seemed ripe with demonic omens. Another seven weeks had disappeared, gone in the blink of an eye. Three weeks remained until Dean's contract was up. The three had been following demonic omens, taking demon hostages and doing their own special interrogations.

"That's terrible, really, really terrible. Your suggestions are getting worse," River laughed. Dean and River's favorite way to pass the time during the long car rides was to try and name their twins. "Starla and Darla? Jack and Jameson?" River said after a moment. It was Dean and Sam's turn to laugh.

"Are you guys going to actually name them? Or just keep fucking around?" Sam sighed from the backseat.

"It's kind of hard to decide on something when we don't know what we're having," River told him. She rubbed her belly which had continued to grow substantially. Dean reached his hand over and laid it on her stomach also. He laughed when it started to move under him.

"They're kung fu fighting in there."

"I think they like Zeppelin," Dean said smiling.

"Zep just started. They were really moving when Bowie was on," River answered. The pair looked at each other across the front seat and shared some silent conversation.

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

She nodded her head smiling again, "Zeppelin and Bowie."

"Wait? What?" Sam asked, "You two aren't serious."

"Oh we are serious, Sammy. Zeppelin and Bowie Winchester, future badasses," Dean said.

The demon was easy enough to trap once the trio identified it. The demon had been following single women home and then disemboweling them. After a heated argument River played bait. She was able to lure the demon down an alley and into a devils trap the brothers had painted in blacklight paint. "I'll eat your liver you god damn bitch," the demon screamed as Dean shoved it into the trunk.

The hunters found an abandoned cabin away from town in which to interrogate the demon. "Who has Dean's contract?" River asked the demon. The demon muttered curses at her from where he sat chained to a chair in the middle of a devils trap. Dean and Sam circled the room silently. "Who has Dean's contract?" she repeated.

"I'm gonna rip your throat out with my teeth, bitch."

Sam splashed holy water in its face and Dean surged forward punching the demon in its jaw. The body it possessed was a young African-American man and between the two brothers they had turned its face to a bruised and bloody mass. "Give us a name and we'll stop. Let you go nice and easy," River smiled. The demon screamed more promises of torture and dismemberment. Dean gave her a look and she sighed walking away. Sam started the exorcism spell and the demon screamed, pulling at the chains that bound it.

"Go ahead and send me back. I'll be waiting for you Dean Winchester!" it yelled.

"Did he make it?" River asked when the screaming stopped. Dean walked over to her cracking open a bottle of beer.

"No. Nothin' left but a meat suit. They seem to be ridin' rough and dirty, burnin' through 'em," he answered.

"Why won't they just give us a fucking name? They're demons, how deep can their loyalties lie. Fuck!" she yelled, kicking a rickety wooden chair into the wall. She took a deep breath and rubbed her protruding stomach.

"Relax. Go and sit, we're gonna bury the body," he told her finishing his beer.

"I am relaxed. Don't get too tired you said we were gonna have sex later!" she called as he followed Sam out the front door.

"TMI!" Sam yelled as the door slammed shut.

River laughed as she sat on the threadbare couch; her phone range a moment later. "Hey, Jellybean. How are you? Busy tormenting mortals?"

"It keeps me busy," Loki answered, "Where are you, tootsie pop?"

"Middle of fuck all nowhere Virginia," she answered. A second later Loki appeared on the couch next to her.

"Wow you are huge!" he yelled laughing at her stomach, "I'll never get used to that. It's amazing really. You're growing a couple of little people in there."

"Yes being knocked up, basically homeless and unemployed is amazing," She smiled wanly, "What do you want? I already told you I can't go paintballing. Dean'd kill me."

"I want you to come with me," he leaned forward and looked over at her, "Get out of here, get away from the Winchesters."

"What?" she laughed looking at her friends whiskey colored eyes. He didn't smile back. " No," River pushed herself off the sagging couch. "How about you help me save him? You're a god. Help me! Put him in some time loop somewhere, keep him safe! We have nineteen days left, Loki!"

"I can't help him. I can't stop what's coming for him," Loki walked towards her. Dean and Sam walked back into the house and stared at River and Loki.

"Oh, what the hell is he doing here? She's not going to play paintball with you, she's freakin' pregnant you asshat!" Dean yelled.

"Shut your cake hole," Loki retorted, "I'm trying to get her out of here. Away from all of this. I can keep her safe, I can keep your sons safe."

Dean and Sam glanced at each other then at River. "I knew we were having boys," she murmured, "I'm not going anywhere. If I'm not safe with Dean and Sam fucking Winchester, I'm not safe anywhere. And if you can't or won't help us, then just leave."

"You have no idea what's coming," Loki disappeared and left the three hunters in silence. River sighed loudly and walked out the front door letting it slam on its rickety hinges after her.

"Where are you going?" Dean yelled after her.

"Getting some fresh air, Winchester. You coming?" she yelled back. Dean found her leaning against the hood of Baby watching the stars. "I got a doctors appointment in two days. I need a car," she said not looking down.

"I know," he replied standing in front of her. He snuck his hands under tight shirt, first running them over her stomach and then up her ribs.

"I put a blanket in the backseat, unless you're too tired…" she bit her lip coyly and glanced up under her eyelashes. He yanked on her shirt and pulled it up and over her head, tossing it on the ground behind him as an answer.

"Are you ok?" Dean asked quietly. They were laying in the back of Impala, Dean leaning up against the door and River laying with her back to his chest. Both still naked and and satisfied from their somewhat frantic lovemaking. She ran her fingers along Dean's forearms and legs, memorizing the feel of his skin, the tight muscles and raised scars.

"Yeah," she finally answered, laying her head back to rest in the crook of his neck, "Just miss having sex in a bed or least indoors."

Dean laughed, "Me too." They gathered their discarded clothes and got dressed in silence, walking back into the cabin just as the sun was rising.

"So, I think I got us a case," Sam called as soon as he heard the screen door bang shut, "Remember that story from the paper?"

"The one about the stripper with three boobs?" River called as she fished around in her bag for a snack.

"No, the other one. The one about the guy that stumbled into the ER missing his liver," Sam answered, "Well the body was covered in bloody fingerprints. Prints that match a guy that died in 1981…" River gave Sam a quizzical look, which he had come to learn meant "who the fuck cares".

"Maybe a revenant or a…zombie? Walking, killing cannibal corpses?" Dean asked, eyebrows raised.

"Might be. Probably worth checking out," Sam said.

"Zombies do like the Other Other white meat," River said between bites of a granola bar.

"We've been on soul saving duty for months and now I'm three weeks out and you want to work an actual case?" Dean said watching his younger brother as he packed his duffle bag.

"Hey man, I thought I was doing you a favor. You two have been all gung-ho to hunt anything and everything. If you don't want to kill any zombies…"

"He didn't say that," River told Sam sitting on the edge of the worn out couch next to Dean.

"Yeah, I didn't say that. Of course I want to hunt some zombies. We'll drop you off half way, is that ok?" Dean asked glancing at River.

"Yeah, Go kill some zombies."

Sam hot-wired a car for River at the designated half way point since she couldn't fit under the steering wheel anymore. "Call me when you get there and after your appointment, lemme know what the doc says," Dean told her.

"I will, go, get outta here already. I'm gonna be late," she kissed him quickly and climbed into the car, "I want details on the zombies, Romero versus Snyder who guessed right?" River drove the car towards Sioux Falls as the Winchesters headed to Erie, Pennsylvania.


	37. Chapter 37

Ch 37

The brothers arrived at the Erie morgue a few hours later, Fed suits on and started questioning the coroner on details of the case.

"So, where the liver was ripped out did you happen to notice any teeth marks?" Dean asked, glancing down at the body on the exam table.

"Can I see your badges again?" the coroner, an older man with stark white hair asked. The Winchesters flashed their fake ID's. "So Feds and morons, what a combo.

"We're smart, very smart…Top of our class at Quantico," Dean muttered.

"Did you even bother reading my report?" the coroner huffed.

"Yeah, doc it was riveting." Dean retorted.

"If so then you would have read where I clearly wrote that the liver was cut out surgically."

"Surgically?" Sam asked.

The coroner moved to the side of the body and indicated the perfect incision on the lower right flank, "Text book incision and closure. Too bad the patient was probably wide awake when it happened. Are we done here? Please go away."

The brothers nodded and retreated from the morgue. "Riv says the babies are perfect, doc was upset she lost 10 pounds. I knew she hasn't been eating right…" Dean said checking the text messages River had sent him.

"She's been stressed out Dean. She hardly sleeps anymore; maybe a few hours in the car sometimes. Her nightmares have been getting worse…"

"Yeah I know. She's just trying to keep it together," Dean muttered as they walked down the cold hallway.

"So the surgical removal punches a hole in the zombie theory, right?" Sam said moving the conversation back to the case.

"What? Yeah, I guess. So what?"

"So maybe we should look at other possibilities," Sam retorted.

"Like what?"

"Like this isn't zombie-picnic left overs this is organ theft. We should look for survivors," Sam said as they exited the building and walked towards their black car. Sam quickly scrolled through local news stories and zeroed in on their next stop. A local man reported waking up in a motel in a bathtub full of ice and missing a kidney. The only details he could recall, after delicate prodding from Good Cop Sam was that he had been jumped from behind and woke up strapped to a table. The visit to the hospital had been short and difficult as the recovering victim had been in a pretty sour mood since getting his kidney cut out.

"So I talked to Mr. Sunny dispositions doctor," Sam said as Dean sat across from him at the small table in their motel room. The older Winchester immediately begin digging into a huge, greasy cheeseburger and washing it down with sips of beer. Sam made a disgusted face and continued, "His wounds were sewn up with silk."

"Hmm, I'm guessing thats weird," Dean said around mouthfuls of food.

"Well, it didn't used to be. Back in the 19th century it was common practice but had horrible outcomes for patients. Use of silk sutures led to massive infections and crazy high mortality rates," Sam turned his laptop for Dean to scroll through the info he had pulled up. "One way to prevent the infections was the use of maggots to eat away the dead tissue; which just so happened to also be in happy-go-lucky's wound."

"Dude, I'm eating!" Dean said scrunching his nose, "Wait, why does this sound familiar? People getting ganked, antique roadshow surgeries, missing organs…"

"We heard it before. When we were kids…from dad," Sam pulled out John Winchesters journal and set it in front of his brother, "Doc Benton, real life surgeon from New Hampshire. Obsessed with finding eternal life so he started his own experiments to find the cure to death."

"Right, right, right. Guy disappears for a few decades then people start showing up dead, organs missing, skin, other parts...Jeepers Creepers type of thing," Dean said remembering the story their father had told him.

"Yeah, so what ever the doctor was doing it was working. He kept living, just replaced parts as they wore out," Sam said.

"I thought dad ganked this guy back in the late '80's. Ripped his heart out or something."

"Well, the guy must've replaced it," Sam said. They continued reading their fathers notes on the not so good doctor to try and locate possible locations for his surgical suite of terror.

"Riv's gonna be disappointed there's no zombies," Dean said as he sent her a quick text message before he and Sam turned in for the night. She replied with a quick, "Boo," and unhappy face.

The next morning the hunters gathered their weapons and reviewed a local map of fresh water access points near abandoned buildings. According to John Winchesters notes Dr. Benton used the running water to wash away the waste from his macabre surgeries. There were four possible locations that they decided to check out. Dean's phone rang just as he and Sam were gathering the land surveillance maps, "Hey, Bobby. Everything ok with River?"

"Yeah son, she's fine. I think I finally got a lead on Bela," the older hunter answered.

"I'm listening," Dean said.

"I dropped some lures a few months back and got a hit with Rufus Turner," Bobby said.

"Rufus Turner, who the hell is that?"

"He's an uh, well I wouldn't say buddy more of an associate…well anyways he mostly deals with selling now, occult items, haunted or cursed stuff," Bobby told him, "She got in contact wanting to buy some pretty specific items."

"He thinks it Bela?" Dean said, Sam glanced up watching his brother pace.

"Thinks it might be, British accent calls herself Mina Chandler," Bobby said.

"She used that alias before when River dealt with her the first time," Dean replied, "That's kind of sloppy don't you think. She reaches out to one of your old contacts."

"I doubt she knows I know him, Rufus aint exactly on my Christmas card list, he's more likely to call me if needs help burying a body then just to chit chat, " Bobby answered.

"Where's he at?" Dean asked.

"Canaan, Vermont. River's already on her way," Bobby told him.

"Alright, we'll meet her there. Thanks Bobby!" Dean told him.

"One other thing, bring a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue." Bobby said before Dean hung up.

"Alright, lets get the hell outta here," Dean grabbed his duffle bag and headed for the door.

"Dean, wait. Where are you going?" Sam called.

"You heard Bobby, we got a lead on Bela. We need to check it out," Dean replied.

"River's on her way, if it pans out to be anything she'll let you know. We're working a case here."

"What case? Doc Benton? Who cares, let someone else come deal with him."

"We're working your case, Dean," Sam asserted, "What good is finding Bela gonna do? She's not going to have the Colt, you know she sold it as soon as she stole it. This Benton guy is as close as it comes to immortal, the way I see it you only go to Hell if you die. If we can find a way to keep you from dying you can't go to Hell."

"Did you know this case wasn't about zombies? Did you lead me here to find this, no, study this freak?" Dean turned on his brother, "What if he is immortal, Sammy. At what cost? I gotta rip organs out of living people to keep myself going. Come on." Dean walked to the door, waiting for his brother to follow.

"I'm staying Dean. You go, be careful, " Sam told his older brother.

"You too," Dean left the motel and Erie, Pennsylvania in his rearview mirror.

He only stopped long enough to gas up Baby and buy a bottle of Johnny Walker per Bobby's instructions and arrived at Rufus's in the later afternoon. Rufus's house was surrounded by a chainlink fence, dotted with numerous signs indicating trespassers would not be tolerated. Dean ignored the signs as he climbed the front steps, more signs hung at the boarded up windows and on the steel reinforced security door. "Paranoid much?" he muttered to himself as he rung the doorbell.

"What do you want?" a gruff voice range out from the intercom above the doorbell. The security camera mounted above the door swiveled to view Dean.

"I'm Dean Winchester."

"So?"

"You called Bobby Singer saying you might have some info on a British chick I'm looking for."

"So?"

"Can you tell me where she is? It's important."

"No."

"'Course not. Look Rufus, man, I know my girlfriends already in there, her cars parked down the street. Unless you shot her or dumped her in your weird torture dungeon or something."

A moment later the security door was swung open, an irritable middle aged African American man stood in the doorway angrily eating a bowl of cereal, "Don't call me man, you come knocking at my door. "

"Sorry, sir," Dean shuffled his feet.

"I'm sittin' down enjoying a snack with a pleasant, polite young woman who requested I share some information I may or may not have on Bela Talbot. Says it important because the life of the father of her unborn children may depend on it," Rufus continued taking another surly bite of his cereal. Dean looked up hopefully.

Rufus continued, "Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, a few months back Bobby Singer asked me to keep my ear to the ground for any rumblings on Ms. Thorne and to let him know if I caught anything. Which I did this morning and now your scruffy ass is here so I can only assume Bobby sent you and you're also the jackass that got that woman in my dining room pregnant knowing you had a contract out on your soul. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. How'd you know about my contract? " Dean mumbled.

"Because I know things. You can wait out here and I'm sure if you ask nicely you're girlfriend will share the knowledge I'm going to bestow upon her," Rufus said stepping back inside and closing the door.

"Well, sir. That would be a shame, I'd have to sit out here by myself with this," Dean pulled out the bottle, "Looks like a mighty fine bottle of Scotch and I sure hate drinking alone." Rufus smiled an actual real smile at the sight of the Johnny Walker Blue.

"Well, son if you had led with that we wouldn't have had to go through all that unpleasantness," Rufus stepped away from the door and ushered Dean inside. Rufus slammed the security door shut and locked the three deadbolts, Dean noticed the line of salt on the inside of the door as well as the devils trap painted on the floor. He followed Rufus down a short hallway and entered the dining room where they found River sitting at the table finishing her bowl of cereal.

"Hey, baby," She stood up and kissed Dean quickly, "Perfect timing. Rufus and I were just going to get down to the business of Bela Thorne."

The two men joined her at the table after Rufus grabbed a couple of glasses for him and Dean. He spared no time opening the bottle of Scotch and pouring them each a healthy serving. River sat silently sipping her lukewarm tea. "So how'd you sweet talk your way in without a peace offering?" Dean asked after he took his first mouthful of the alcohol.

"I introduced myself and asked nicely, Dean." She smiled sarcastically at him, "Rufus you have fantastic taste in Scotch. The swill Dean usually drinks comes out of plastic jugs."

Dean smiled and raised his glass to salute Rufus, "So Rufus, Bela was here to purchase some things from you?"

"Yeah, told her it'd take me some time to round 'em up," Rufus said glancing between River and Dean, "Can I ask you something?" Dean nodded.

"You got three weeks left, what are you doing wasting your time chasing that skinny, stuck up British bitch when you got her carrying your sons?"

"How'd the hell you know we're having boys?" River asked.

"I know things," was his cryptic reply,"Lots of things about lots of people."

"Is that so?" Dean said swirling the scotch in his glass.

"I know there ain't no peashooter gonna save your ass," Rufus continued.

"You can't be sure, you don't know that," River said.

" 'course I do. That's the life kids," he took another sip of scotch, "Even if he does mange to scrape out of this one. You both know it'll be something else down the line. Maybe take you instead," he indicated River, "or your boys or all of you. Folks like us, there ain't no happy endings. We all got it coming."

River furrowed her eyebrows and blinked several times, trying to control the influx of emotions, "I need some fresh air. Are there any boobytraps I should know about at the backdoor?" Rufus shook his head and she walked out of the dining room.

"You shouldn't have said that to her," Dean said darkly.

"Someone has to say it. I'm what you've got to look forward to if you survive," Rufus smiled slyly, "But you won't."


	38. Chapter 38

Ch 38

River stepped onto Rufus's back porch, stared down at the Devils trap painted outside the door and took several deep breaths. One of the babies did a somersault inside her and she poked her belly gently, "You two knock it off in there." She took another breath and walked back inside.

"So, Bela. Where is she?" Dean asked glancing at River as she sat back down at the table.

"Hotel Caanan, room 39," Rufus answered, "But, you need to be careful."

"We can handle Bela," River told him quietly. Dean took another sip of whiskey and River couldn't tell if he was actually close to drunk or just playing it up for Rufus.

"Oh yeah?" Rufus said, "You shouldn't be so sure. There are things you don't know about her."

"Right and you do," Dean tilted his head to look at River, "Because he knows things, princess."

"You try and lift her fingerprints?" River asked leaning forward and smiling. Rufus nodded from behind his ever full tumbler of whiskey. "And you didn't get anything did you?"

"Nope, she burned 'em off," Rufus laughed. River smiled again and nodded.

"Well then you're right where we are, which is exactly nowhere," Dean said.

"Did you do her ear?" Rufus asked with a knowing smile.

Dean stopped and turned to look lazily toward River, "You know, we'll try anything once…she did this thing with mints and a pearl necklace a few weeks ago, I mean holy shit I thought my head was gonna explode," Dean whistled and smiled lasciviously at her, "Never mind…But the ear…that kind of sounds uncomfortable…"

"No, Dean. Shit. Of course, the ear is used for Green cards and foreign passports. The human ear is as unique as fingerprints," River said kicking his ankle under the table. Rufus smiled and tilted his glass in her direction.

"You must be the brains of the operation," Rufus commented, "Anyways, I got a friend of a friend of an acquaintance that did a little digging and faxed me copies of an international dossier…All I needed to do was scan him one good image of her ear." Dean clicked his tongue in approval as Rufus stood and walked towards his desk. River shot her hand out and grabbed Deans giving it a quick squeeze before Rufus returned with the folder. "Bela Talbot aka skinny stuck up bitch aka…," he said tossing the folder down in front of Dean.

"You have thirty minutes, if you're not back I'm coming in guns blazing," River sat in the front seat of the Impala looking across at Dean. The hunters had left Rufus after reviewing the gathered intel on Bela and driven to Hotel Caanan.

He slid his gun into the back of his jeans and reached across the seat gently grasping Rivers face, "I'll be right back," He kissed her softly, lips brushing against hers, "Don't shoot anyone." He climbed out of the car and ran across the street to Hotel Caanan, River huffed in annoyance watching as he disappeared into the building.

A few minutes later a beautiful woman with bouncy auburn hair walked into the main entrance of the hotel. "Gotcha you bitch," River muttered watching Bela.

Bela unlocked the motel room door and stepped into the dark room. Before she had a chance to reach for the light switch Dean surged forward pinning her to the wall and pressing his Magnum into her temple, "Where's the Colt?"

"Hello Dean," Bela stuttered,"Where's River? Heard she was in the 'family way'." Dean spun her around and tore her jacket off, running his hands quickly over her body. "Get your hands off of me," she yelled indignantly.

Dean smirked crudely as he grabbed Bela's gun, "Don't flatter yourself. I'm gonna need to shower in disinfectant after being this close to you. Where's the Colt?"

"Gone, Dean. Half way around the world," Bela told him raising her hands in surrender.

"You're lying bitch," Dean said pressing his gun back into her temple. Bela took a step back and bumped into the wall.

"I'll call the buyer. You can ask him yourself; you do speak Farsi right?" Bela retorted. Dean pulled his gun away from her head and turned towards the room. He pulled the drawers out of the night stand, throwing Bela's clothes on the ground. "I don't have it, Dean." She took a step towards the door and Dean fired a shot, the bullet tearing through the wood inches from Bela's head. The door shuttered slightly and Dean saw something flutter down from the door frame.

"Don't fucking move," he told her evenly.

"It's gone, Dean. You might be able to catch up to the buyer eventually… if you had the time." Dean stepped forward aiming his gun at Bela's head. "Are you going to kill me Dean?"

"Oh, yeah. Been waiting a while to put a bullet in you."

" I didn't peg you for the cold blooded murdering type."

"Oh, I'm not. Not usually anyways. Not like you. I couldn't imagine killing my own parents," Dean told her smirking.

A flicker passed quickly across Bela's statuesque face, "I don't know what your talking about."

"Yes you do. You were what 14? Parents died in a car accident and the police suspected a cut brake line but everything came out extra crispy and they couldn't tell for sure," Dean smiled again, "Cut to Bela, I mean Abby inheriting millions."

Bela smiled viciously, remembering the abuse she suffered at the hands of her son of a bitch father and the way her mother slapped her when she tried to ask for help. "They were lovely people, really Dean. Right up until I killed them and became rich. Funny thing about money, get enough of it and you can't be bothered to give a damn. Just I like now, I don't give a damn what happens to you."

Dean shoved her into the door causing something to be knocked loose from the door frame, "You make me sick."

"Likewise," she answered. Dean raised his gun again and flicked the safety off with his thumb. Bela took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Dean's eyes darted up to the doorframe where he saw a bundle of thorny vines hanging loose.

Bela opened her eyes and watched as Dean holstered his gun, "You're not worth it." He grabbed Bela and spun her away from the door. She stood for a moment watching Dean leave the room before she looked at her balled fist. She had picked Deans front pocket when he grabbed her and now she stared at a receipt for "The Erie" motel in Erie, Pennsylvania. Bela calmly walked towards her discarded purse and pulled out her cellphone.

"It worked. Dean found me, his pregnant girlfriend is around here somewhere too. No, Sam isn't with them. I know where they're staying, I can find him," Bela reported to the voice on the other end of the phone call.

Outside River sat in the dark car watching the minutes tick by ; Dean had four minutes to come back before she would follow. She glanced at her phone again and when she looked up Dean was half way across the street. He slid into the car a moment later and turned the engine over without a word to River. "Where's the gun, Dean?" He looked over at her, swallowing thickly and shook his head. "God damn, it," River screamed pounding her fist into the dashboard. She took a shaky breath and then covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking as her frustrated tears spilled down her face.

"It's ok, babe. It's gonna be ok," Dean told her reaching his hand over to squeeze her thigh.

"It's not gonna be ok, Dean. Quit fucking saying that to me. I'm scared. I know you're scared. I can't…I don't wanna do this on my own," she told him angrily wiping the tears off her face, "I don't know what else to do, Dean. What are we gonna do?" She leaned back in the seat and stared out the window silently, hand unconsciously rubbing her belly as Dean drove the Impala on the empty highway.

Dean pulled the Impala off the highway and into a rest stop a while later. "Need a nap, hot stuff?" River asked him with a half smile, eyes still red and watery.

"Nope," he said smiling. He leaned over the long seat and pulled her towards him, "Take your clothes off." River smiled self-consciously for a moment chewing her lower lip before pulling her shirt off. Getting her pants off was a bit more of a production and Dean chuckled as she scooted out of them.

"Shut up, Winchester. Lucky I can still fit in the damn things," she muttered. Dean leaned into her, lips crashing into hers, sucking, biting and licking anything he could reach. She moaned as he sucked on the sensitive skin on her neck; his hands reached behind her and unclasped her bra then pulled it down her arms. One hand moving to massage and squeeze her full breasts the other sliding between her thighs.

"Have I told you lately how amazing your tits are?" Dean murmured taking one hard nipple in his mouth. She arched her chest into him as two of his long fingers slid inside her and curled at just the right angle.

"It's been at least six hours since you last mentioned it… oh," she moaned "Fuck, Dean. Get undressed already." He moved his mouth to her other nipple as her hands pulled at the buttons on his jeans. He growled low in his chest when she pushed his jeans out of the way and freed his throbbing cock.

"God you're so hot," he murmured pulling her hips towards him so she laid on her back in the front seat, "You ok like this?" he asked looking down at her, round belly poking up between them.

"Yes. Please, just fuck me," River moaned wrapping her legs around his hips and trying to force him closer. Dean pulled up on her hips and thrust into her in one smooth movement causing her to cry out. His hips slammed forward, the sound of hot skin slapping together drowned out by the pornographic moans and grunts escaping both their lips. He couldn't reach down to kiss or suck anything due to her pregnant stomach between them and after a few moments growled in frustration.

"You gotta turn over baby, I gotta touch you," Dean said gently pulling out causing River to moan at the loss of contact. He helped her turn onto all fours and slide into her from behind.

"Oh, fuck, Dean," she sighed thrusting her hips back to meet him. His hands roamed over her back and hips and around to her tits, lips and tongue trailing a wet line up the tattoos on her back and neck.

"You're so fucking sexy, feel so good baby," he murmured into the back of her neck. Dean rolled his hips causing River to cry out again her hand shooting forward to hold onto the door and brace herself. His hipbones snapped forward into her ass at a breakneck pace. "You gonna cum for me, princess?" he urged slipping one calloused hand over her stomach and down to her clit rubbing quick circles into the sensitive bundle of nerves.

Her moans of "oh gods" and "Dean" became an incoherent chant of obscenities until she cried out arching into him. He moaned out his own string of curses, feeling her pussy clench around him as he crested his orgasm. He leaned down again and traced another line of lite kisses up River's back causing her to shiver. "Everybody ok in there?" he asked reaching his hand around to caress her stomach.

"Never figured you for a pregnancy kink type of guy," River said smiling getting herself back into a semi comfortable sitting position, "Not that I'm complaining…We're gonna get arrested one of these days for indecent exposure." She traced her had along the fogged up window, checking that the rest area was still empty.

"Can't help it. You're fucking beautiful," he smiled at her as he pulled up his jeans, "I'm crazy about you." River smiled back at him slipping her own pants on, those words were as close as Dean ever got to telling her he loved her. They got back on the road once they were dressed and headed back to Pennsylvania to check on Sam. River soon fell asleep, head laying on her arm which she had resting on the door. Dean waited until her breaths were deep and even and her face relaxed. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and called his younger brother, "Hey, Sammy."

"Dean, hey man. Did you get the Colt?"

"No. It's gone, the Colt is gone," Dean said glancing at River's sleeping form, "I'm screwed. I am so screwed man."

"Maybe not. I found Benton's cabin," Sam interjected.

"You ok? Did you kill him?"

"Yes I'm ok and No I didn't kill him."

"What do you mean 'no'?" Dean said loudly causing River to sigh and move. He took a breath to calm himself and spoke quieter, "Why the hell not?"

"Dean, just relax and listen. I found his journal! His lab book, it has his formula."

"What? The live forever formula?"

"Yeah. Lemme guess, I gotta drink baby blood out of a virgins skull?" Dean said darkly looking over at River as she sat up groggily and stared at him, "Shit, sorry baby. Go back to sleep."

"Dean, thats just it, it's not magic. No blood sacrifice. It's just science," Sam continued, "Very, very, weird science."

"Wait, wait, wait a sec what are you saying? Are you sayin' this is doable?" Dean asked glancing at River who had scooted closer leaning her head towards the phone to listen.

"It might be, Dean, I think so, " Sam stopped and took a breath, "I know we've hit walls, but this…this could save you, Dean."

River took a sharp breath in shaking her head, "How?" she whispered.

"Look I don't know everything yet, theres a lot I haven't figured out but…" Sam's voice cut out suddenly and was replaced with muffled noises of a struggle.

"Sam? Sammy?" Dean yelled into the phone but Sam's voice didn't return.

"Shit!" Dean yelled in frustration, "Buckle up, Princess." He stomped his foot on the accelerator and the Impalas engine growled in response shooting forward.

Sam awoke some time later, strapped to a table, his eyes being painfully held open with tape. His eyeballs were already growing dry and itchy. "Hey, relax big fella. It's all gonna be ok," a ragged voice said from somewhere behind Sam "Sam, Sammy, you got a real good chance of comin' outta this procedure alive."

Sam struggled at the leather straps that bound him to the table, "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, I know all about you, Sammy," Benton moved to a line of candles grasping a wicked looking tool in one hand, he held it up to the flame letting the metal grow hot. "You think I'm a monster, don't you. But let me tell you something, son. I've never done anything I didn't have to do…Eternal life is extremely labor intensive, high maintenance some would say." He stepped back into Sam's line of vision, "When somethin' goes bad, like my eyes here, I gotta replace them. And when your daddy cut my heart out now that was real inconvenient. And then you can imagine how my newest heart swelled with pride when I read all about myself in his journal…Feels almost like a family reunion. Well, enough chitchat guess it's time to get this whole thing started." Benton leaned down, moving the hot scoop towards Sam's face. The heat coming off the metal was enough to singe Sam's eyelashes.

"Well, look at you! God damn, you are nasty!" Rivers voice called out. Benton looked away from Sam and towards the voice. Multiple shots rang out pelting Benton in the chest and causing him to stagger backwards from the force. River and Dean stood shoulder to shoulder guns trained on the doctor.

"Shoot all you want," the doctor said calmly stepping towards the hunters. They fired in tandem, bullets tearing into the doctor but causing no real damage. Dean pushed River out of the way as the Doctor shoved bodily into Dean, sending him flying hard half way across the room. Benton jumped on Dean and started strangling him. River came from behind and stabbed the doctor with a wicked long knife plunging through his back and into his heart. The doctor laughed and released Dean, turning to face River as she took a few steps back. "Really, a knife? Pity about the heart it was brand new."

"Good, should be pumping like a champ then," River said smiling as Dean struggled to his feet.

"We found this bottle upstairs," Dean held up an old glass bottle with the word 'Chloroform' printed on it. "Dipped our knife in it and now this shit should be flowing through your whole body." The doctor staggered and fell heavily to the floor at River's feet.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey," Dean sang. Doc Benton's eyes fluttered open.

"Please…" Doc Benton moaned.

"Please? You've been killing people for a century and a half and you have a request now?" River said looking down at Doc Benton where the hunters had him chained to an exam table.

"You know we might have to cut him up into little bits because of the whole immortality thing," Dean said looking at his brother.

"I can help you, Dean. I know….I know you need help. I can read the formula for you. Immortality, young forever, never die…" the doctor said staring up at Dean.

"Dean," Sam said looking at his brother.

"Sam?" Dean retorted.

"Boys," River added nodding her head towards the other room so the brothers would follow her, "Maybe we should listen to what he has to say?"

"Dean, we're talking about a new liver every half century or so," Sam said.

"And where are we gonna get that? They don't exactly keep them in stock at the Gas 'n' sip." Dean retorted.

"It could buy us some more time, baby. It's not the best plan but it's something," River said looking into his green eyes.

"Please, Dean. It's not perfect. All we need is time. Just consider it," Sam pleaded.

"No," he answered shaking his head.

"Dean, please we're running out of time," River said.

"Look, this is real simple. Black and white, human or not human," Dean told them walking back to where they had the doctor tied up, "He's a monster. I won't become that. I'd rather go to hell." He splashed more chloroform on a dirty rag and held it over Benton's face.

"God damn it," River said, "Stubborn god damn Winchesters."

"I'm gonna take care of him. You two can either help me or…" The doctor stopped struggling as the anesthetic took effect.

"What the hell are you doing? I can help you!" the doctors terrified screams echoed from inside the ancient refrigerator. He pushed at the heavy metal door straining against the chains that locked it in place. The three hunters stood around the metal coffin listening to the monster scream. The brothers had dug a deep hole in the soft earth outside of Doc Benton's lair and pushed the makeshift coffin into it.

"Enjoy eternity, asshole," River yelled as Sam and Dean piled the dirt back into the grave.

Later that night, a beautiful woman with bouncy auburn brown hair entered the pay- by- the- hour Erie Motel. She walked silently down the dirty hallway to room 13 where she expertly picked the lock and entered the dark room like a shadow. She raised her silenced gun and emptied a clip into the twin beds. Only when the gun clicked empty did she turn on the light and threw the covers off the unmoving shapes in the bed. Two blow up sex dolls were rapidly deflating from the holes Bela's gun had caused. The room phone rang a second later and with shaking hands Bela answered it.

"Hiya Bela," Dean's voice rang out, "Fun fact, I felt your hand in my pocket when you swiped that receipt."

"Dean, you don't understand," Bela's eyes darted to the clock on the nightstand, the minuted clicked over and now read 11: 58 am.

"Oh no? I think I understand pretty damn well actually," Dean answered holding the phone in front of him with the speaker on. He sat behind the wheel of Baby, Sam in the front seat next to him and River in the backseat. "I noticed something interesting in your hotel room tucked above your door; an herb devils shoestring."

Bela cried silently on the other line, "Dean, please."

"We learned something real interesting about devils shoestring not to long ago. It's good for one thing, keeping Hellhounds at bay," Dean said, "I went back through your file and read your parents obit, they died ten years ago. Today…You made a deal Bela."

"I didn't know," she stuttered.

"Oh you knew, sweetheart. You had a demon kill your mum and dad and now your contract is due." The clock in the motel room clicked to 11:59 am. "Is that why you stole the Colt? Our gun for your soul?"

"Yes, but they changed the deal." Bela answered. "They wanted all three of you dead."

"Geez, demons being untrustworthy and with such a tight deadline. Look at that it's almost midnight," Dean told her.

"Dean, please, I need your help," Bela cried freely now. "I know I don't deserve it." Her desperate voice filled the Impala and River couldn't help but feel sympathy for the cold hearted bitch.

"You're right, you don't deserve it. We can't help you, Bela. I mean we probably could have weeks ago if you had just asked us, been truthful," Dean said. "We could have taken the Colt and saved you."

"And saved yourself. I know about your deal, Dean." she said

"How do you know about that?" Dean asked her.

"The demon that holds your contract told me. She holds mine too. Holds all of them," Bela said taking a shuddering breath, "Her name is Lilith."

The three hunters all took a sharp breath in, "Lilith, why should I believe you?"

"I haven't any reason to lie anymore, Dean. And maybe you can kill the bitch," Bela glanced at the clock as the numbers changed again, 12:00am. "Goodbye,River," she called out.

"Godspeed, Bela," River called from the backseat.

"Goodby, Dean."

"See you in hell, Bela." Dean snapped his phone shut. Sam looked at the stony features of his older brother and River quietly wiped tears off her face.


	39. Chapter 39

Ch 39

Something moved in the thick brush. Something large and hungry and ready to kill. The overbearing smell of sulfur made Dean's eyes water and burn. The dry snap of twigs being trod on echoed somewhere off to his left followed by the blood chilling howl of Hellhounds. Dean sprinted away from the noise, crashing into the thick tree branches. A particularly sharp branch caught him just below his right eye, stinging like a son of bitch followed by the familiar warm trickle as blood ran down his face. His pace never slowed, the hot breath of the invisible hound paces away from him. He crashed through another thick wall of tree branches and found himself in a clearing. He circled slowly, knowing he was now surrounded, the leaves fluttered with the heavy snorts coming from the demon dogs, the air slightly thicker where it bounced off their invisible hide. "Come on!" he yelled defiantly . The hounds howled again and charged towards their prey.

"It's ok, Dean. I'm here," River tentatively laid a hand on Dean's arm. He jerked awake, pupils blown, breaths coming in heaving gasps. He pulled his arm away from her, still seeing himself in the clearing surrounded by death. "Dean, wake up!" she called. He shook his head quickly, dispersing the nightmare and ran his hands over his face. When he let his hands down from his eyes he found River still staring at him. She looked as exhausted as he felt, dark purple bags under her eyes, hair hanging loosely around her pale face, mouth a tight line of worry.

"I'm ok," he muttered. He leaned forward and rested his head on her pregnant stomach, listening to his unborn sons. The nightmares had started a week ago, intensifying each time Dean had dared fall asleep for any length of time. He was now a little more than 24 hours away from his deadline. "I love you and I love our sons," he said to her, "I should have said that weeks ago, months ago… Lets get out of here, drive to Vegas and get married by Elvis."

"You wanna marry me, Winchester?" River asked him smiling as he gathered her in his arms and kissed her deeply, backing her into the table sending a stack of musty books tumbling onto the floor.

"Hey guys, Bobby just got back from Rufus'. He's got the compass." Sam walked in on the two just as Deans hands had started to pull up on River's shirt.

"Perfect timing as usual," River smiled against Deans lips and yanked her shirt back down.

Sam, Dean and River had come home to Bobby's several days prior. Bela was gone, the Colt was gone but they had a name now. Lilith, the white eyed demon that was leading a demonic army against Yellow Eyes splintered factions for control of hell, had Dean's contract. Little good the knowledge ended up doing any of them since they had no weapons at their disposal to kill a demon. They had the spell River had found in Levi's tomes to track Lilith but they were missing an important piece. Bobby had contacted Rufus and Levi in search of an enchanted divination compass; the compass was the last part of the spell they could use to track Lilith.

Dean and River entered Bobby's main study and found the older man setting up the sector. It was obviously old with mystic symbols hand etched into the wood and gold pieces of the compass. The pendulum was a rose colored quartz attached by a long silver chain to the top of the sector.

"You think it'll work, Bobby?" River asked, watching as he unrolled a large map and set the compass on top.

"Yeah, Levi said he used the spell before. By the time we're done we'll know the street address where Lilith is hiding." Bobby swung the pendulum and recited the incantation, the pendulum stopped mid swing once the spell was complete and he leaned over the map, "New Harmony, Indiana. Alright lets go."

"Wait, What?" Dean stuttered. "We aren't going anywhere."

"What's the problem, Dean?" Sam asked his brother.

"What's the problem? Where do I begin. Hmm, first we don't have anything that can gank the bitch, if she really even holds my contract. And second this is the same demon that wants you dead, Sammy. Just 'cause I gotta die doesn't mean you have to. We do this smart or we don't do it at all."

"Fine. Summon, Ruby. Get that black eyed bitch here," River said.

"What good will that do?" Bobby asked.

"She's got that fucking knife, it can kill demons."

"You want us to try and kill Lilith with a bowie knife?" Dean asked turning on her.

"I want us to try something, Dean. We can find Lilith, we just need a way to end her." River countered.

"Dean, she's right. We are so past arguing here. I'm summoning Ruby," Sam said taking a step towards his brother.

"The hell you are. She's the Miss Universe of lying skanks, she isn't gonna help us. She told you she could save me; that was a lie. She seems to know everything about Lilith but wouldn't tell us she's the one with my contract? Come on!" Dean yelled.

"Dean, she's a liar and I fucking hate her as much as you do. But she has the knife, it's the only thing we've got right now!" River yelled back.

"They're right, Dean." Bobby said evenly from behind them.

"God damn it! No! Just no!" Dean hollered, slamming his fist into the wooden table, "We aren't gonna make the same mistakes again. If you want to save me, find something else."

"You stubborn son of a bitch." River hissed storming past him and running up the stairs. Dean watched her and then sat back down at Bobby's desk, face dark. Bobby shoved his hat on his head and muttered something about finding something else.

Dean walked quietly down the hallway and opened the door to his old room. The once cluttered room had been transformed into a nursery. Sam, Bobby, Ellen, and Jo had surprised River and Dean with the transformation one afternoon while the two went to town for a few precious hours of distraction and pie. Two matching dark wood cribs sat side by side against the far wall, a matching dresser and changing table had also been fit into the room. Jo had made the boys blankets out of old band shirts and they were folded on the dresser waiting for Zeppelin and Bowie. The FBI most wanted posters River had swiped were now framed and hung on the wall, along with pictures from River and Dean's phones (that Sam had surreptitiously uploaded to his laptop) of the two of them and Sam. River sat in a plush glider in the center of the room quietly singing "Blackbird" while Dean stood in the doorway for a moment watching her.

"My mom used to sing 'Hey Jude' as a lullaby for Sammy and me," Dean said quietly walking into the room. She smiled at him and said nothing for a moment gathering her thoughts.

" I didn't think…I never thought I'd have a family again," she finally said, "You gave me this, all of this." She waved her hands around the room then rested them on her stomach, "You're a good man, Dean. I love you and I'm not going to lose you. I'm not gonna loose my family with out a fight. We need to fight, we need to make a stand. You're lying to yourself if you don't think Lilith will come after us. You heard what Bela said, she wants all three of us dead. I don't want to sit here and wait for her to come for us."

Sam kneeled on the dirty floor of Bobby's decrepit barn. He finished drawing the summoning sigil on the ground and dropped a flaming match into the silver chalice full of crushed herbs watching as they flared a sickly lime green. A board creaked across the barn as Sam muttered the summoning spell and the flame in the chalice burned out. He glanced around the old building waiting for the blonde demon to appear and sighed when she didn't materialize. He stood up to his full height and dusted the dirt off his pants.

"You know a phone works too," the young blonde demon stepped out from the shadows, "What do you want Sam?"

"Did you know Lilith held Deans contract?" Sam asked her.

She smiled and cocked her head, "Yeah, I did."

"You didn't think that was an important thing to tell us? We've been chasing our tails for months!"

"I didn't tell you because you weren't ready. You, your idiot brother and his pathetic fucktoy would have charged in half-cocked and Lilith would've peeled the skin off your faces," Ruby spat at him.

"Well, we're ready now. I want your knife," Sam sneered at her. Ruby's smile morphed into a predatory grimace.

"You're right, you are ready and now is the perfect time to strike. Lilith's distracted, on shore leave, having a little demon R and R."

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked her.

"You don't want to know," Ruby circled slowly around the hunter, "You still have those hex bags? The ones I gave you and your yahoo brother?"

"Yeah, we got 'em."

"Good, then the bitch'll never see you coming."

"Fine, great. Give me the damn knife," Sam said growing impatient with her prattling on.

"No," Ruby stopped her circling and stared at the tall man in front of her, "You want to charge in there with a pig sticker? Waste a true-blue window opportunity like Fidel Castro and the exploding cigar. No."

"You told Dean you can't save him. You've been lying this whole time!" Sam yelled. "No more games Ruby. Dean is out of time, give me the knife."

"Yes, I've been lying to Dean. I will never lie to you Sam. I know how to save your brother!" Ruby yelled back, "You have a god-given talent…well not god given but you know what I mean."

"What that psychic crap? It's gone, been gone since Dean killed Azazel."

Ruby smiled again, gently this time, "Not gone, big boy. Dormant. You just need a little push. And it's more than just visions, Sam. You have really power. Why do you think Lilith is so afraid of you?"

"Right, she's afraid of me." Sam scoffed.

"You could wipe her off the map without moving a muscle if you really wanted. I can show you how and you can save your brother from the pit."

"So you're gonna train Sammy here to be your Padawan and you'll be his slutty Yoda?" Dean quietly walked in on the two conspirators.

"Dean, charming as usual." Ruby sighed turning to face the older Winchester.

"I knew you'd show 'cause I knew Sam wouldn't listen," Dean now stood in front of his brother and the demon, "You aren't gonna teach him anything; over my dead god damn body. But what you are gonna do is give me your knife."

"Your brother is carrying a bomb in him and we'd be stupid not to use it," Ruby continued.

"Dean, maybe we should listen to her…" Sam said.

"No, god damn it, Sammy. This is what she wants, she wants you to use your powers to become her Antichrist Superstar."

"No, I want Lilith dead, just like you do Dean and maybe we can save your sorry soul in the process," the blonde demon turned on Dean, "I'm tired of trying to prove myself to you. You dumb, spineless dick." Dean took a deep breath through his nose and punched Ruby in the mouth. The demon stumbled back only to be caught by Sam, she rounded on him with a right hook to the cheek throwing the tall hunter into the wall behind him. With a feral growl Ruby pounced at Dean sending him crashing to the floor, before he could recover she leaned down and punched him in the face followed by a savage kick to his midsection sending him skirting across the floor. She calmly followed his trail dragging him up to his feet and head butting him. Dean stumbled to the ground and laughed, "What the hell are laughing at nimrod?" Ruby growled.

Dean grinned and held up Ruby's knife, "Missing something, bitch?" Ruby growled again and took a step forward, well tried to take a step forward. She bounced off thin air and staggered back looking around the dirt covered ground trying to find the demon trap she knew had to be somewhere. Dean pointed the knife towards the ceiling and Ruby glanced up seeing the fresh red paint of the sigil binding her. "Like I said, knew you'd come," Dean turned away from her and helped pull his younger brother to his feet.

"You're just gonna leave me here?" Ruby called as the Winchesters walked out of the barn, "I'm gonna laugh while Lilith peels your eyelids off and eats your unborn sons for Sunday dinner. I wish I could be there to smell your flesh sizzle while you're on the rack, Dean! I wish I could hear your screams!"

"And I wish you'd shut your pie hole but we don't always get what we want!" Dean yelled back.

River and Bobby glanced up from the pile of weapons they were loading when Dean and Sam limped in from their fight with the demon. River loaded shells into her shotgun and smiled at Dean when he tossed Ruby's knife next the rest of their guns. "You guys ok?" River looked at the two brothers and their fresh bruises and split lips. Dean grunted in response while Sam clenched his jaw tightly.

"Ruby said she has a way to save Dean, a real way," Sam finally said. River laid the shotgun down and looked at Dean.

"And…where is the black eyed bitch?" River asked.

"Stuck in the demons trap in the barn, where she'll stay forever if we're lucky." Dean answered.

"What did she say, Sam?" River asked.

"It doesn't matter because it isn't an option." Dean said.

"Didn't fucking ask you, Dean."

"She said I can fight Lilith using my psychic powers. I can beat her and we can save Dean." Sam told her. River nodded unsurely and looked at Dean.

"And if your Jedi powers don't work? Then we're still up shit creek and Dean is still dead, we're all dead and the demons still win…" she placed her hands on her lower back and stretched, groaning in delight as her back cracked loudly.

Dean nodded and waived his hands towards River, "She gets it Sammy, why the hell don't you? This is what the demons want. They know our greatest weakness is each other, every time one of is about to be road kill we go runnin' to make some sort of deal. This has to stop. We take this knife and go in fighting like Dad taught us to. No more deal. And if we die, we go down swinging."


	40. Chapter 40

Ch 40

900 mies from the Singer salvage yard an angelic looking blonde girl was playing with the entrails of her former cat, Mittens. The rest of her terrified family smiled and told her what a good job she had done with that mean old cat. The little girls porcelain skin and princess pink dress were smeared with blood and fur and she laughed at her reflection in the mirror over the fireplace. Her mother and father shared a few frightened words in the kitchen, muttering about how "something" had taken over their beautiful baby girl.

The sun was barely cresting the horizon as the Winchester brothers quietly climbed into Baby. Dean turned the ignition and was met with a lame clicking noise emanating from under the hood. Bobby sidled up to Dean's open window holding the carburetor cap, "Where ya'll headed this beautiful morning?" Dean and Sam glanced across the seat at each other before getting out of the car. "So you think you can treat me like a ditchable prom date?" Bobby asked.

"Bobby, this is about me and Sam. This isn't your fight…" Dean started.

"The hell it ain't! Family don't end with blood, boy," Bobby yelled. River walked out onto the front porch, a look of pure hurt on her face. Dean had left her sleeping on the couch without so much as a goodbye.

"You need us, Dean," she said walking down the steps.

Dean turned to look at her, "Abso-fucking-lutely not! Don't even think about it."

"She's right, you're going in handicapped and you know it. You're already hallucinating aren't you?" Bobby asked.

"How'd you know?" Dean asked Sam cocked his head at his brother.

"Thats what happens when hellhounds are on your ass and because I'm smart thats why," Bobby countered. The older man removed his hat and ran his fingers through his thinning hair.

Dean took a deep breath, "Fine. But you, princess, get your pregnant ass back inside and put your feet up."

"Fuck you, Winchester. You're gonna leave me here by myself? While the only family I got," she waived at them, "Goes on a fucking kamikaze mission? You think I'm safer here? Every demon and ooggie-boogie knows I'm knocked up with your kids!"

"This place is safe and you're armed…" Dean countered.

"And if they burn the house down around me?" she asked, hands on her hip.

"Then go to Levi's."

"He left on a vision quest to the Montana wilderness yesterday morning."

"Son of a bitch." Dean muttered, "Loki…"

"No, I'm not hiding," River smiled and leaned in for a kiss, "We're burning day light."

"I'll follow ya'll." Bobby yelled as he walked to his beat up Camaro.

They drove through the day, the hours ticking by as fast as the changing scenery. River dozed in the backseat as the brothers filled the passing hours with their normal banter. The sun finally set as the hunters neared New Harmony. "Look, Dean, I want you to know if this doesn't go…if this doesn't go the way that we want…" Sam started, glancing at his brother nervously.

"No. No. No. No, speeches, no my heart will go on bullshit. We're here to do a job just like any other job except now we've got prego and Mr. Positive trailing us," Dean interjected.

"Dean, damn it just let me say what I want say," Sam said exasperated, "If River and I make it out of this, without you, I just want you to know I'll keep her safe. As safe as I can, I'll keep your boys safe and away from all this…if she'll let me."

Dean sighed and shook his head, "I said no speeches. If this is my last night on Earth I don't want it to be as socially awkward as you were in high school, ok? You know what I do want…" Dean fumbled with his cassette collection and popped a tape into the deck, dialing the sound up. Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" came blaring over the stereo causing River to stir in the backseat.

She sat up and stretched, smiling widely, "Turn it up, baby, this is my jam!" She started singing loudly, "On a steel horse, I ride!"

Sam laughed, "Bon Jovi?"

Dean nodded and caught River's eyes in the rearview mirror, "Bon Jovi rocks…on occasion." Then he began to sing along with River, his deep voice much more in tune then hers. Sam shook his head then joined in, the three hunters soon singing at the top of their lungs, Dean belting out the drum beats on the steering wheel and Sam rocking an air guitar. River sat up from the backseat and kissed both their cheeks, muttering "Nerds" at them before sitting back. The jam session was cut short when the signature wailing of a police siren and red and blue lights pulled up behind them.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" River cursed indignantly turning to look out the back window.

"We're getting pulled over?" Sam said confused.

"Gotta busted tail light," Dean muttered, pulling Baby to the side of the road, "Not like I got a deadline or anything." The Sheriffs deputy climbed out of his car as Dean rolled down his window and took his registration card from Sam. "Problem officer?"

"You know you gotta busted tail light son. License and registration please," the deputy said, taking the offered paperwork from Dean.

Dean glanced up at the deputy, eyes widening and he stuttered his answer, "Yes, yes sir. I've been meaning to uh…" Dean swung the car door out suddenly, catching the deputy off guard and knocking him back.

"Dean!" River and Sam yelled. Sam got quickly out of the car and ran to his brother who had started attacking the deputy. Before Sam could stop him, Dean grabbed the demon killing knife from his jacket and plunged it beneath the Sheriffs jaw. The demon within flashed orange and flared underneath the mans skin before dropping dead at Dean's feet. "Shit," River muttered as climbed unsteadily out of the backseat. Bobby's car pulled up behind the patrol car and he ran to the group standing over the now dead demon. "How did you know?" River asked him.

"I saw it, the demon. I could see it's face, it real face behind the man." Dean answered.

River stepped back running her hands tiredly through her hair, "We need to get the body and the car off the road." She walked to the patrol car and started the engine pulling the car into the dark trees that surrounded the road.

"You're seeing demons now?" Sam asked his older brother as they dragged the body off the road and dumped it under some shrubs.

"Yeah, weird right? I'm seein' all sorts of stuff," Dean answered.

"It's not weird son, you got a little over Five hours left," Bobby said.

"You're piercing the veil Dean. Walking in both worlds," River looked at him, "Viewing the B side none of us are to supposed to see. Are you hearing anything? Voices, barking, howls?" He shook his head "no".

"This might actually be helpful. Lilith probably has demons stationed all over town, you can see them before they see us. Help us get close," Sam said.

"Keep them from sounding the alarm and gutting all of us before we even get close to the bitch," River said smiling wryly.

"Sounds great, awesome plan. Glad my doomed soul is good for something. Lets get outta here," Dean called walking back to the cars.

Across town the blonde haired blue eyed girl that was harboring a demon general sat patiently at a dining table. "Happy birthday, dear Lizzie, Happy birthday to you!" her mother, father and grandfather sang loudly. The little girl laughed gleefully, "Yay! It's my birthday every day!" she blew out the candles on the the enormous chocolate cake. Her mother grabbed a large knife with unsteady hands and began to cut thick slices of cake. The little girl watched with rapt attention before turning on her elderly grandfather, "Papa, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, dear, of course." the man said with a trembling voice.

"Why did you try and pass Mr. Timmons a note asking for help? Don't you love me?" the little girl smiled maliciously.

The old man began to tremble all over eyes darting to his daughter and son in law, "Of course I love you…"

"No you don't; you want all this fun to end. Did you know about this?" the little girl whipped her heads towards her parents who both shook their heads.

"Please help me! Do something, she's a monster!" the old man yelled terrified of the small, angelic child sitting across from him.

"I don't think I like you anymore," the little girl raised her hand and twisted it in the air. The old mans neck snapped and he fell face first into his plate of chocolate cake. The mother let out a small shriek, "Don't cry! Crying makes me mad, mommy!" The woman covered her mouth with shaking hands and sobbed quietly. "I'd like ice cream with my cake, daddy. Now!"

The hunters had made it to the quiet neighborhood without being spotted. Dean sensing the demon sentries had lead them through to an empty house facing their target. "It's her, Lilith is in the little girl. Her face…it's awful," Dean stared through the window, Sam lowered his binoculars. Bobby and River flanked them staring across at the unfolding scene, the little girl was voraciously shoveling ice cream into her face as her horrified parents sat and watched helplessly.

"Ok, what are waiting for lets go," Sam said turning away from the window.

"No, wait. We can't just charge out there. How are we gonna get past the rest of them?" Dean said still looking out the window.

"Where are they Dean?" River asked placing her hand gently on his lower back.

"The worlds best mail man, delivering mail at 10pm?" he pointed each demon out, "Mr. Rogers, there. The guy thats been walking back and fourth for the last 45 minutes…more I can feel them but I can't see them yet."

"Ok, so we ninja past them and gank the bitch," Sam vented.

"And then what? Colombian necktie a little girl?" Dean said turning towards his brother.

"Dean, we have to do this. It's awful, I can't believe what we're about to do but We have to end her," River said.

"This isn't just about saving you, Dean. This is about saving us, all of us. She will tear us all apart, she's not gonna stop until she's bathing in our blood," Sam continued.

"Damn it," Dean groaned, he wrapped his hand tightly in River's and they walked away from the window. The hunters gathered together and made their final battle plan. In the mad house across the street the little girl lay in her pink princess themed bedroom next to her terrified mother and demanded another bedtime story.

The worlds most productive mail man stood next to his truck, rifling through packages that were never going to get delivered when a noise drew his attention. The demon turned and caught the sight of Dean poking his head over the picket fence. Dean turned and ran and the demon followed, the mail man jumped the picket fence and turned a corner hot on Dean's heels only to be caught by the younger Winchester. Sam stabbed Ruby's knife into the demons heart as Dean grabbed it from behind, covering its mouth and hiding its death cry.

Bobby opened the water valve to the sprinkler system of Lilith's house and blessed the water dropping in a crucifix. Dean and River had a heated argument about drawing out Mr. Rogers and River won when she kicked Dean in the shin and took off running towards the house. "Runs pretty fast for a pregnant woman," Sam smiled at his brother who was still cursing and rubbing his shin. River ducked around the house and then around the back, knocking on windows as she went causing the demon to finally stand and investigate the sound, he came to his backdoor just as River ran past. The old man took off after her as she sprinted around the detached garage , Sam once again waiting and stabbing the demon in it's throat.

The next step was to gain access to the house where Lilith was hiding, a chain link fence and an unknown number of possessed neighbors stood in their path. Dean took off for the chain link fence and just has he was about to climb over the blonde demon Ruby pounced from the shadows. She grabbed Dean and pressed him into the chainlink, "I want my knife back or your neck snaps like a wishbone."

"Back off, he doesn't have it!" Sam appeared behind her, growling in her ear and holding the knife to her neck.

"Give me the knife, Sam, before you get hurt."

"You can have the knife back when this over, bitch." River hissed behind them.

"You ignorant clowns, it is over. Dean is dead. Sam you don't have to die and neither does watermelon belly over here." Ruby turned on them. Dean stared through the chainlink fence and watched as one by one the front doors of the surrounding houses opened and black-eyed men and women stepped onto the porches.

"Save it for later, we got problems…" Dean muttered. River looked over his shoulder at the demons and whispered "Fuck." "Don't let go of my hand, babe," She nodded and grasped his hand tightly. Sam kicked the chainlink fence open and ushered Dean, River and Ruby through with a hurried, "Run." The group ran across the small yard and onto the front porch of Lilith's home. Sam kneeled in front of the door and tried to jimmy the lock open.

"I'm trying!" Sam yelled in frustration when the lock wouldn't budge.

"What the hell is taking Bobby?" River muttered, watching as a dozen demons rushed towards them. Just as the first few crossed onto the plush green lawn, the sprinklers started and showered the demons in water. The holy water burned and steamed on the demons skin where it made contact. The demons jumped off the lawn hissing and growling at the barrier the blessed water had created. Sam was able to pick the lock to the front door and the group quietly entered the house. They nearly stumbled on the decaying body of an elderly woman laying just inside the foyer.

"You think Lilith knows we're here?" River asked quietly looking down at the bloated face of the old woman.

"Probably." Ruby answered stepping over the corpse and entering the front room. Sam lead the group, the demon knife held out in front of him. Ruby following close behind and trailed by Dean who still tightly gripped River's hand. A man stumbled out of a closet just as River walked past and Dean caught the man, one hand around his throat and one across his mouth.

"Shh, hey it's ok. We're here to help," River looked into the terrified mans eyes and placed her hand on Dean's urging him to let go of the mans throat, "Where's your daughter?"

"She's not my daughter, not anymore. She's got my wife upstairs, please god help us," the man cried quietly.

"Get downstairs to the basement, put a line of salt at the door and stay there." River told the shaking man.

"No, not with out my wife…" he started.

"Yes without your wife, go now!" River hissed. The man continued to shake his head and Dean lashed out with an elbow to the side of head, knocking the man unconscious and slowly lowering him to the floor. Dean shrugged his shoulders at River and grabbed her hand again. Sam and Ruby crept upstairs looking for the little girls room; she was in the second door they opened. The little girl fast asleep curled into the frightened side of her mother. The woman watched with hopeful eyes as Sam crept across the room, knife ready to strike as he pulled away the sheer pink curtain surrounding the bed. The woman nodded her head in encouragement as Sam steeled his nerves ready to strike, just as he plunged the knife down the little girl woke up screaming and Dean caught his brothers wrist inches from the girls heart.

"It isn't in her anymore. Lilith's gone!" Dean yelled. Sam stood shaking and wiped sweat of his forehead.

"Get up, get up come on," River ran around to the other side of the bed and pulled the trembling woman and child out, "You stay in the basement, no matter what you hear. Do you understand? Behind the salt line." She led the two down the stairs and opened the basement so they could join their father and husband. Across the street Bobby watched as the group of demons gathered on the street, he glanced at his pocket watch and cursed as the time seeped away.

"Where is she?" River yelled to no one in particular. Dean circled the dining and kitchen areas as Sam and Ruby checked the remainder of the first floor.

"Could she gat past the sprinklers?" Sam asked the blonde demon.

Ruby scoffed, "With her pay grade she isn't sweating the holy water."

"Fine, you win. What do I have to do?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean?" Ruby questioned turning to face Sam. River and Dean entered the small study behind them.

"Sam, no" Dean started putting a hand on his younger brothers shoulder.

"God damn it! There has to be something! What do I have to do to save Dean?" Sam demanded.

"There's nothing. We needed time, Sam." Ruby continued.

"No, whatever it is I'll do it!" Sam yelled, "I'm not gonna let you go to hell, Dean!"

"Yes you are! It's too late. It was always to late, we were gonna end up here no matter what, Sammy." Dean told his younger brother, "This is my fault, all of this. I'm sorry. This isn't gonna save me, Sam. It's only gonna kill you."

"What am I supposed to do?" Sam asked, voice cracking.

"Keep fighting. Take care of my girl and my sons," Dean took a breath, "Take care of my wheels. Remember what dad taught you…ok? Remember what I taught you." Sam nodded silently, tears gathering in the corners of his hazel eyes. River started crying quietly, tears falling unchecked as she brought both hands to her mouth trying to control the sobs that were threatening to breakthrough. The small clock on the mantel started chiming the bells of midnight.

"No!" River screamed. Dean turned towards her and she grabbed his face in both her hands, "I love you, Dean Winchester. I love you so fucking much. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me." The bells chimed on, Dean nodded as River kissed his face, "I will never stop, Dean. I will never stop loving you. I will find a way to bring you home."

The chimes stoped as the clock hand moved to 12. "I'm sorry, Dean. I wouldn't wish this on anyone," Ruby said quietly. Dean heard something, a snarl and howl coming from outside. He turned his head towards the sound, River and Sam mimicked his movement but heard nothing.

"Hellhound." Dean said to himself.

"Where is it, baby?" River whispered.

"There," Deans eyes focused on some unseen horror near the dining table. Sam held the knife defensively as Dean swept River behind him, "Run!" The four took off away from the snarling and barking that had become audible and ran into the next room. Slamming the door behind them, River and Dean pulled out satchels of a black powder and laid a line inside the door as Ruby and Sam held the door closed against the attacking hellhound. The barking stopped and the door relaxed on its hinges.

"Give me the knife, maybe I can fight it off!" Ruby told Sam, holding out her hand for the knife. Dean and River turned from the now sealed windows as Sam stepped towards Ruby.

"No, wait!" Dean yelled. "That isn't Ruby! Her face, it's different." Sam swung the knife but the demon easily blocked it sending the taller hunter into the wall and throwing Dean onto the table. River pulled her gun out and fired two quick shots into the demons head. Her head flung back at the force of the bullets but were instantly healed, the demon flung her hand in the air and slammed River into the wall back first. Ruby raised her hand and River and Sam slid up the wall until they're feet were no longer touching the floor underneath.

"You been in that body long? I should've seen it before but you know all you hell skanks look the same to me." Dean grunted from the table, forcing his head up to meet the eyes of the demon. River struggled against the wall but her hands and legs felt as if they were manacled by invisible chains.

"Just jumped into this meat suit, I like it. It's all pretty and grown up, makes me want to do naughty things." Lilith smiled at Dean, "Look at you three. You've been thorns in my side for months now. Where do I begin? This is so much better than cake and ice cream for dinner." Lilith circled the room, eyes roaming over the three trapped hunters. She settled on Sam and walked over to him, letting him slide down the wall so she could stand eye to eye. She leaned forward and kissed him roughly, Sam trying to turn his head away from her vice like grip.

"Fine, you have me. Let Dean and River go," Sam said when she released his lips. Lilith smiled and stepped back, "Sammy, you silly goose. If you want to make a deal, you have to have something I want but you don't." Lilith stepped away from Sam and turned back to River.

"But you do," she smiled. Lilith rested her ear on River's stomach smiling when she felt it move under her. "Give me the souls of your children and I'll let Dean go free."

"What?" River stuttered looking at the white eyed devil in front of her.

"The souls of your children, pure, innocent worth more than a thousand souls I gather from deals made by idiots like Dean. Give them to me and Dean and you are free to walk out of here. Sam stays of course."

River looked at the terrified faces of Dean and Sam, felt her unborn babies stretching inside of her. "No," she told the demon, tears falling from her eyes having just refused their one and only way out. "You can't have my sons." Dean laid his head back and took a deep breath.

"What a waste," the demon sneered. Lilith raised her hand and made a tight fist; agonizing pain shot through River's abdomen and she screamed as she felt something inside her be torn away. Blood gushed from between her dangling legs, soaking through her jeans and spilling onto the floor beneath her.

"No, god, please no!" Dean yelled as River continued screaming and sobbing.

"Bye bye puppy chow." Lilith smiled at Dean's agonized face as he watched River grow quiet, her chin dropping to rest on her chest. She swung the door open and in the next instant the hellhound sprang into the room, it's razor sharp jaws biting into the thick muscles of Dean's calf and dragon him off the table. It was Sam's turn to scream as he watched his older brother be mauled to death by an invisible monster. The hellhound showed no mercy as it tore into the soft flesh of Dean's back and abdomen, his blood soaking through his torn clothes and onto the floor beneath. Dean took a shuddering breath as his midsection was torn asunder and Sam continued yelling, "No!"

Lilith laughed at their misery and raised her hand towards Sam, "Yes!" A bright white light flashed in the room and then quickly dimmed. Sam stood up from where he had been huddled on the floor and looked at the bewildered face of Lilith. She tried again to use her demon powers but the light did not return. Sam pulled himself to his full, impressive height and sneered raising his own hand. The light returned this time, emanating from him and filling the room. Lilith threw her head back and screamed, the billowing black and purple smoke that was her essence shot from the vessels mouth and escaped. The blonde vessel the hunters had come to know as Ruby fell dead. River's unmoving form lay a few feet away and Dean lay in a puddle of blood. His once vibrant, mischievous green eyes now glazed over. Sam crawled to his older brother, gathered him in his arms and wept.

"De..an," River moaned from across the room before falling silent once more.

Authors note:

I'm sorry. So sorry but I said no happy endings. I'm planning a sequel and hope to have the first few chapters up in an week or two. The story will be called "Empire of Dirt" and will be a continuation of this story and combine/ re-write seasons 4-5. Thank you for reading.


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